COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 5172

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Wholesalers, Except Bulk Stations and Terminals

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

16companies1904–1981founding years16still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedDeutsche BP AktiengesellschaftFoundedDeutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft
1904
FoundedThe British Petroleum Company plcFoundedThe British Petroleum Company plc
1909
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedMitsubishi CorporationFoundedMitsubishi Corporation
1918
FoundedQuantum Chemical CorporationFoundedQuantum Chemical Corporation
1924
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedCumberland Farms, Inc.FoundedCumberland Farms, Inc.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedAgway, Inc.FoundedAgway, Inc.
1964
FoundedFlying J Inc.FoundedFlying J Inc.
1968
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedUni-Marts, Inc.FoundedUni-Marts, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
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
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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

Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1904 · Germany
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft is one of the top suppliers of petroleum products in the competitively fragmented German…
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1904 · Germany
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft is one of the top suppliers of petroleum products in the competitively fragmented German…
The British Petroleum Company plc →
Active · founded 1909 · England
One of the five largest oil companies in the world, The British Petroleum Company plc (BP) is the United Kingdom's…
The British Petroleum Company plc →
Active · founded 1909 · England
One of the five largest oil companies in the world, The British Petroleum Company plc (BP) is the United Kingdom's…
Mitsubishi Corporation →
Active · founded 1918 · Japan
Appearing on everything from automobiles to agricultural goods, the Mitsubishi Corporation's three diamond logo has…
Mitsubishi Corporation →
Active · founded 1918 · Japan
Appearing on everything from automobiles to agricultural goods, the Mitsubishi Corporation's three diamond logo has…
Quantum Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Quantum Chemical Corporation (prior to 1988, the National Distillers and Chemical Corporation) is one of the largest…
Quantum Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Quantum Chemical Corporation (prior to 1988, the National Distillers and Chemical Corporation) is one of the largest…
Cumberland Farms, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Founded in 1938 as a one-cow dairy farm, Cumberland Farms, Inc.
Cumberland Farms, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Founded in 1938 as a one-cow dairy farm, Cumberland Farms, Inc.
Agway, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
Agway, Inc., is one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in the United States.
Agway, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
Agway, Inc., is one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in the United States.
Flying J Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Flying J Inc.
Flying J Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Flying J Inc.
Uni-Marts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Uni-Marts, Inc., is the ninth-largest convenience store chain in the United States in sales and among the top 100 U.S.
Uni-Marts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Uni-Marts, Inc., is the ninth-largest convenience store chain in the United States in sales and among the top 100 U.S.
Build It Today

Starting a petroleum and petroleum products wholesalers, except bulk stations and terminals company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.