April 19, 2018
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Enmarket has officially begun operations of the 34 E-Z Shop convenience stores it purchased from Brabham Oil Co. Inc.
Enmarket assumed ownership and operations of the stores on April 19. Rebranding of the locations from E-Z Shop to Enmarket will begin later this year and is expected to conclude in 2019.
The transaction also included Brabham’s wholesale distribution company and 11 Subway franchises. It marked the second major purchase in recent months that combined doubled Enmarket’s store count to 122 and 14 quick-serve restaurants, as CSNews Online previously reported.
“The addition of these 34 locations has enhanced our presence in South Carolina and will further build our brand in the Southeast,” said Enmarket President Brett Giesick. “But more than that, our parent company, Colonial Oil, and Brabham Oil are both fourth-generation family-owned businesses that have built strong reputations with both customers and employees. We understand the trust and commitment we took on with this purchase and will continue to build on it.”
Both Colonial Oil and Brabham Oil have ties that date back to 1929, when Clarence M. Brabham opened a small wholesale petroleum business as a reseller for Colonial Oil. Brabham Oil served as a wholesale jobber for major fuel brands such as Shell, BP, Phillips 66 and Chevron.
In 1999, Brabham Oil recognized the need for private-label gasoline and launched the Horizon brand. Today, E-Z Shop c-stores and Horizon fuel are among the largest and most recognized chains in South Carolina, according to Enmarket.
“The friendships established by this company with customers and suppliers over the years have been vital to its success and will always be treasured,” said Brabham Oil President Brab McCully. “We look forward to the family business tradition being continued by the good folks at Enmarket.”
Enmarket was founded in 1963 as Interstate Stations by Robert Demere in Savannah. It operated under that banner until 1990, when the name was changed to Enmark. In 2015, the retailer launched a rebranding initiative to better align with its commitment to fresh food and health, now known as Enmarket.
