COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 454311

Heating Oil Dealers

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

6companies1893–1980founding years4still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedNippon Oil Corporation
1893
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedUltramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation
1910
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedWebber Oil Company
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedShowa Shell Sekiyu K.K.
1942
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedGiant Industries, Inc.
1969
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedValero Energy Corporation
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Nippon Oil Corporation →
Active · founded 1893 · Japan
Nippon Oil Corporation is Japan's largest importer and distributor of petroleum products, controlling about 25 percent…
Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1910
Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation (UDS), based in San Antonio, Texas, is the second largest independent oil…
Webber Oil Company →
Active · founded 1935
Webber Oil Company, based in Bangor, Maine, is a major wholesaler of home heating fuels and gasoline in Maine and New…
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. →
Active · founded 1942 · Japan
c.
Giant Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1969
Early 1980s:Competition from the oil majors forces Acridge to close all his stations in the Phoenix metro area and to…
Valero Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1980
Valero Energy Corporation is the leading independent oil refiner in the United States.
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