Whitehead Oil Company Marks 50th Year Milestone
Event planned for August at Lancaster County Event Center
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, January 30, 2009. Whitehead Oil Company, a Lincoln-based, family-owned Phillips 66/Conoco fuel retailer and wholesale supplier, is celebrating its golden anniversary this year.
Founded by M.E. “Bus” Whitehead in 1959, the company now operates a chain of 23 convenience stores under the brand name of U-Stop in Lincoln and Council Bluffs. The company also operates a bulk products distribution center and supplies fuel to dealers in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska.
Whitehead Oil Company employs more than 250 people and sold in excess of 45 million gallons of gasoline last year.
During its 50-year history, the company has weathered gas shortages in the 1970s, thriving even as other gas stations went out of business. The industry soon saw a shift from full-service to self-service, and the 1980s gave rise to the modern convenience store. The company’s strategy of building convenience stores in developing areas of the city has been key to the company’s success.
“The customer has never really changed in all these years,” said Mark Whitehead, president of the company since 1986. “They’ve always made convenience and economy a priority in their buying decisions.”
Over the years, Whitehead Oil Company has been a strong supporter of the University of Nebraska as well as many local charities and organizations. It recently donated $25,000 to the Girl Scouts’ Catron Camp and Retreat Center. The company and its employees also contribute to Junior Achievement, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Families for Effective Autism Treatment and Muscular Dystrophy.
In addition, the company has proved its commitment to preserving the area’s natural resources by donating 100 acres of wetlands to the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District. Whitehead, who serves as the chairman of Nebraska’s Environmental Quality Council, also says the fuel industry has made great progress in removing antiquated underground tanks and says new bio-fuels will shape the future of the industry.
A celebratory event to mark the 50th anniversary is planned for August during the Lancaster County Fair.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Mark Whitehead at (402) 435-3509 or email him at mwhitehead@u-stop.com.
