Petroleum Products, Inc. was formed in February, 1938 by a group of five businessmen in Beckley, West Virginia who were interested in providing fuel and supplies to the mining industry in Raleigh and Fayette Counties. Gulf Oil Corporation had just announced that they were planning to shut down their relatively new bulk plant facility which had been constructed near Beckley in 1932. This facility is now the site of the Beckley Bulk Plant of Petroleum Products, Inc.

During the 1940's and 1950's the company expanded its operation from a mine supply company to retail service station facilities. Through a close alliance with New River Coal Company, the company boasted over 17 gas station facilities throughout the Raleigh and Fayette County area in southern West Virginia. The mining industry continued to expand in the early 1960's but the overall employment in the mining communities was declining due to mechanization in the mines.

In 1975, our current President, Patrick C. Graney, III, had an opportunity to join the company and buy out some of the existing shareholders. The business was not growing and needed new management direction.

Over the next several years, Mr. Graney pursued a career in the coal business but continued to devote more and more time to Petroleum Products, Inc. Following the Iraq oil embargo in 1978-1979, he launched our first major initiative as a jobber with Ashland Oil Company by purchasing diesel fuel for resale.

In 1981 the company converted from a Gulf Oil Products consignee to a wholesale jobber distributorship. In 1982 Mr. Graney continued the expansion of the wholesale company by purchasing an Ashland Distrubutor located in Oak Hill, West Virginia and a Gulf distributor in Logan, West Virginia. These opportunities represented diversification in the industrial market and an opportunity to serve different areas of the state. The expansion in the Logan area was solidified with the purchase of a Pennzoil distributor in 1984.

Petroleum Products has continued to grow both organically and through acquistion. In May 2007 Petroleum Products, Inc. was acquired by Maxum Petroleum as a significant step in their strategy to strengthen their position as the leading independent petroleum marketer in the country. The scale of operations, services and financial backing of Maxum Petroleum will allow Petroleum Products to better serve both our customers and supply partners and should present new challenges and opportunities for our employees and management team members.