BOSTON — Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are heeding the Dietary Guidelines advice to “make at least half your grains whole,” with the majority of Americans eating more whole grains than they did five years ago.

The Boston-based nonprofit Oldways Whole Grains Council (WGC) released these findings and others from its 2015 Whole Grains Consumer Insights Survey in time for September’s Whole Grains Month.

“For years, most people came nowhere close to whole-grain recommendations, so it is encouraging to see that many are now benefiting from switching more of the grains they eat to whole grains,” said Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies, Oldways Whole Grains Council. “The next step is tempting Americans to expand their whole grain palates beyond bread, cereal and brown rice to delicious grains like spelt, farro, amaranth and teff.”

The push toward whole grains comes as studies show that eating whole grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Other benefits include reduced risk of asthma, healthier blood-pressure levels and better weight control.

For the survey, the Oldways Whole Grains Council asked Americans about their whole-grain habits, and here’s what they found:

Whole-grain consumption is up

• Nearly two-thirds, or 64%, have increased whole-grain consumption “some” or “a lot” in the last 5 years.
• Whole-grain lovers really love their whole grains. In fact, two in three respondents who nearly always choose whole grains now have increased their whole-grain consumption a great deal compared to 5 years ago.

Choosing whole grains more often

• Almost one-third of respondents (31%) say they nearly always choose whole grains. Five years ago, just 4% would have said this.
• Another 32% choose whole grains about half the time.
• That means 63% are making more than half their grains whole, good news since the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, due out this fall, are expected to continue with this recommendation as they have since 2005.

Whole grains are popular morning fuel

• Breakfast remains the biggest eating occasion for whole grains, followed by dinner and then lunch. On average, 37% of daily whole grains are consumed at breakfast, 27% at dinner, 22% at lunch and just 14% as snacks.
• People eat nearly 30% more whole grain breakfast cereal (hot or cold) than refined.

Health messages are getting through

• Nearly 9 out of 10 (86%) of those who consume whole grains do so for the health benefits.
• Forty percent (40%) choose whole grains because they enjoy the taste.
• Cost was named as the leading barrier to eating more whole grains (39%).
• Availability can also be a barrier (28%) as many restaurants don’t offer whole grain choices.

Gluten confusion

• Few fully understand gluten. While more than one in three identify gluten as a protein and one in five know it makes dough rise, only 4% correctly selected both (and no other options).
• Twenty-one percent incorrectly think gluten is in all grains. In fact, gluten-free doesn’t mean grain-free. Even those following a gluten-free diet can enjoy grains such as amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff and wild rice.
• 93 percent eat gluten some or all of the time. Of the 7% who completely avoid gluten, only one in five has a medically diagnosed problem with gluten.

Top 5 Favorite Whole-Grain Foods

1. Whole Wheat Bread (31%)

2. Oatmeal (27%)

3. Popcorn (15%)

4. Whole Grain Cold Cereal (15%)

5. Whole Grain Pasta (8%)

The Whole Grains Consumer Insights Survey was commissioned by Oldways Whole Grains Council and was conducted by SSI Inc. The survey was administered online and consisted of a random sample of 1,510 U.S. adults, with a large majority responsible for household food purchases. Survey was completed between July 27, 2015, and Aug. 3, 2015. Data are within 1%-2% of national census targets for age, gender and income.

ARLINGTON, Va. — It’s been 20 years since the national “We Card” retail program was launched in an effort to support retailers in combating youth access to tobacco and other age-restricted products. According to a We Card-issued press release, as many as 40%-60% of minors succeeded in purchasing tobacco back in 1995; today, that number has dropped to 10% based on the federal government’s 2013 Synar Report.

“We Card was a pioneering program in 1995 to help introduce the concept of responsible retailing on a massive scale, and ‘carding’ was a sometimes-used term,” said Lyle Beckwith, NACS senior vice president of government relations and a We Card board member. “Today, carding is commonplace, and We Card is forging new resources for all age-restricted products, including those designed to prevent e-vapor product sales to minors.”

As part of the annual We Card Awareness Month in September, the retail program will begin offering new resources targeted at e-vapor products, including new “Under 18, No E-Vapor: WE CARD” signage, in-store e-vapor kits for vape retailers that are new to the world of age-restricted products and an “E-Cig and Vapor Central” home on wecard.org where additional resources can be ordered.

Also new for 2016 is a smartphone site: We Card NOW. The site seeks to provide store managers and employees with immediate access to tools, including an age calculator and a digital version of the 365-page-a-day calendar for cashiers to “card” customers.

Since 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted more than 478,000 retail compliance checks, with 133,000 checks occurring in 2015 alone. We Card’s e-learning training not only matches the FDA’s official guidance for Tobacco Retailer Training Programs, but takes it a step further by including an emphasis on customer service, role-playing and interactive gaming. The training program has earned the American Business Awards 2013 Bronze Stevie Award for Best Training Site.

“We have many key stakeholders to thank for the tremendous 20-year track record We Card has in training and educating retailers,” said Doug Anderson, president of We Card, “and vital to our efforts is the important collaboration across retailers, state and national associations, manufacturers, state agencies and law enforcement.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — First Colombia Gold Corp., a real-estate development company, announced today that it has acquired Enterprise Partners Inc. and is in possession of final contracts to acquire 11 convenience stores in Alabama.

The acquisition follows First Colombia’s purchase of Triangle Restaurant Group in April. The company is pursuing opportunities of incorporating the quick-service restaurant operations under the Triangle Restaurant Group banner.

Triangle Restaurant Group operates outlets under several restaurant brands, including Jack Blacks BBQ House, Pete’s Hot Dogs, Captain Cooks Sub Shops and Hum Dinger Burgers and Shakes.

First Colombia Gold Corp., Memphis, Tenn., is focused on acquiring, developing and advancing natural resource, energy, and real estate projects.

Watch CSPnet.com and CSP Daily News for further details on the acquisition.

LAPLATA, Md. —Blackie Wills might not mind if his convenience-store chain, Dash In Food Stores, adopted a new retail motto: Dash in and stay awhile.

There’s no denying that a growing number of Dash In locations are becoming increasingly warm and inviting—all part of an ongoing and ambitious $2.5 million to $3 million store remodeling project.

And just like the motto says, when customers feel comfortable, they tend to stay longer and spend more. That’s the goal at the chain of 65 existing Dash In stores located in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. The LaPlata, Md.-based company is earmarking about $75,000 to $100,000 per store to reach a higher level of customer satisfaction, Wills said.

“We see this as an investment in the brand [that] provides us the ability to change customer perceptions,” Wills, director of real estate and development for The Wills Group Inc., told Convenience Store Products. “Customers now tend to come into the remodeled stores and comment, ‘This is a Dash In?’ ”

About five years ago, Wills began imagining a new look, one that would involve shifting from metal to wood/millwork interior designs and fixtures, and how it could serve as a cosmetic rejuvenation for outdated store formats. As the company adds new stores and remodels existing ones, customers see a chain that’s starting to resemble the look of the leaders in other retail channels, such as fast-casual, Wills said. Prompting the decision to remodel was the chain’s shift to made-to-order foodservice fare instead of its previous hot-hold offerings.

This store vision took shape in 2010 when Dash In went on a retail asset-purchasing spree, snatching up 1,000-square-feet legacy snack shop stores from both Shell and Exxon. Rather than retrofit, Dash In opted for complete raze and rebuilds. The company is on target to add six to 10 new stores per year over the next several years.

“The interiors are being transformed—we wanted to shed the former look,” Wills said. “The shift to made-to-order was a major factor, and I don’t think we could have made this switch and kept the former look. It was important to create a newer, better kind of in-store experience for customers.”

Wood-Be Success Story

Integrating pre-engineered cabinet fixtures with the unique combination of aesthetic appeal and durability was top of mind with Dash In.

Wills scouted for and found the right partner to tackle the job in Richmond, Va.-based Merchants Fixture, which has National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certification.

“We first talked to Merchants Fixture in May of 2014, and they have since done seven stores. They will remodel another nine into next year,” Wills said. “Over the next five years, we plan to remodel 40 stores.” Wills appreciated Merchants Fixture’s expertise with millwork and their creation of shop drawings.

When the conversion was made, not only did Dash In opt for what was already higher-quality wood-based millwork, but they splurged on the “Cadillac” of fixtures in the form of Cambria stone countertops, “creating a richer customer experience,” he said.

A store’s success can hinge on the in-store design plan, as the costs of cabinets make up the largest percentage of all in-store costs—not including POS—both in new construction and re-modeled stores, said George Wright, president of Merchants Fixture.

Wills liked the teamwork and ongoing communication Merchants brought to the table. “The first store Merchants did for us, we did a walkthrough and performed tweaks to the millwork package. We had shelving designed one way—but we elicited some feedback and incorporated some changes,” Wills said.

Store downtime at Dash In during the conversions was minimal as Merchants was able to “work in stages to keep stores open all the time—even working off-hours,” Wright said. “This effort can take two weeks if you have to do it in stages rather than full-on.”

Wills wasn’t able to quantify how this initiative translates to additional sales or additional foot traffic in stores, but predicts those results will be more readily tracked with each passing fiscal quarter.

ANKENY, Iowa — With its release of “excellent” results for the first quarter of its 2016 fiscal year, Casey’s General Stores saw its stock price hit an all-time high of nearly $110 per share Tuesday.

The news came on a report of same-store sales improving 3.4% in gasoline gallons, 10.3% in foodservice and fountain, and 7.0% in grocery and other merchandise.

“The company is off to an excellent start to the fiscal year with strong sales, margin expansion in prepared foods and a favorable operating-expense environment during the period,” said Robert J. Myers, chairman and CEO of the convenience-store chain. “Diluted earnings per share increased 23% despite a fuel margin decline of 1.4 cents per gallon compared to the prior year.”

Here is a breakdown of the company’s results by category:

Fuel: The goal for fiscal 2016 is to increase same-store gallons sold 2% with an average margin of 16.7 cents per gallon. For the first quarter, same-store gallons sold were up 3.4% with an average margin of 17.5 cents per gallon.

“Same-store sales continue to benefit from low retail fuel prices,” said Myers. “Wholesale fuel costs were volatile throughout the quarter. Our pricing strategy allows our store managers to respond quickly to local price competition, which helped us maintain volumes and achieve a margin above goal.”

The company sold 15.7 million renewable fuel credits for $8 million during the first three months of the year. Total gallons sold for the quarter were up 8% to 501.2 million gallons.

Grocery and Other Merchandise: The company’s annual goal is to increase same-store sales 6.2% with an average margin of 32.1%. For the first quarter, same-store sales were up 7.0% with an average margin of 32.6%.

“Cigarette sales performed well as we experienced volume increases throughout the quarter, especially in our premium brands,” said Myers. “The grocery and other merchandise margin is slightly over our annual goal, primarily due to the seasonal sales mix we typically experience in the first quarter.” Total sales were up 10.0% to $526.6 million.

Prepared Food and Fountain: The goal for fiscal 2016 is to increase same-store sales 10.4% with an average margin of 60.8%. For the first quarter, same-store sales were up 10.3% with an average margin of 62.5%.

“Many of our strategic initiatives are focused on driving sales to this category,” said Myers. “Major remodels, 24-hour conversions and pizza delivery continue to deliver impressive sales gains, and lower ingredient and supply costs enabled us to expand our margin.”

Total prepared food and fountain sales were up 14.8% to $223.4 million, and gross profit dollars grew 19.9% to $139.7 million.

Operating Expenses: For the first quarter, operating expenses were $263.6 million compared to $244.3 million for the first quarter a year ago, up 7.9%.

“Credit-card fees and transportation costs combined decreased approximately $2.3 million from a year ago due to lower fuel prices,” said Myers. “These reductions were offset by expenses related to operating more stores than a year ago, as well as the various strategic initiatives the company continues to roll out.”

Expansion: The company’s annual goal is to build or acquire 75 to 113 stores, replace 10 existing locations and perform major remodels on 100 existing locations. As of the end of the quarter, the company had opened eight new stores, acquired one store, and replaced seven existing stores. The company had 17 major remodels under construction at the end of the quarter, along with 26 new stores and four replacement stores.

“We are pleased with the pace of our new-store construction progress and will continue our patient approach to potential acquisitions,” said Myers. “Major remodels have shown to be an excellent initiative that will drive better performance out of our existing store base.”

Dividend: At its September meeting, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share. The dividend is payable Nov. 16, 2015, to shareholders of record on Nov. 2, 2015.

Casey’s owns and operates 1,887 in 14 Midwestern states, primarily Iowa, Missouri and Illinois.

LOS ANGELES — A new mobile app has set out to change the way consumers purchase gasoline, Business Insider reported. Bruno Uzzan’s Purple allows consumers to order gas from an iOS or Android device and have it delivered straight to their vehicle.

Purple, which has gained 15,000 users since its launch in May, is currently only available in the Los Angeles metro area. However, Purple plans to expand up the coast to the San Francisco Bay area, as well as introduce overnight delivery, the news source reported.

“Convenience is the first motivation,” Uzzan told Business Insider, although he said he realizes that for some the annoyance of going to the gas station might not outweigh the added cost of delivery. In Los Angeles, Purple charges $3.79 per gallon for 87 octane and $3.99 per gallon for 91 octane. L.A.’s gas prices average about $3.50 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

Users of Purple’s mobile app can pick to have their vehicle filled with 10 gallons or 15 gallons of gasoline in one hour or three hours. Once selections, including location, are made, consumers leave their gas tank door unlocked (or open), and Purple comes to fill it.

Uzzan told Business Insider that due to regulations on measuring gas, for now Purple’s couriers are only allowed to fill gas tanks in round numbers, but said Purple will eventually offer a 5-gallon option. The app will send several notifications and alerts to inform users about the progress of delivery, and a final message is sent once delivery is completed.

Uzzan said early adopters of Purple have mostly been those with luxury cars—around 80%—in the wealthy neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

Purple has garnered the support of early investors like Uber co-founder Oscar Salazar, and Business Insider reports Uzzan and Salazar are thinking one step ahead with the delivery service.

“Cars are more and more connected, and there is the vision that one day you won’t have to go to the gas station, or even order Purple. The car itself will automatically order gas. All the technical aspects are there,” Uzzan said. 

And Uzzan doesn’t want to stop with gas. He said he thinks of Purple as an on-demand energy company and has been brainstorming how the company could give a boost to electric cars, which would be especially useful in places where there’s not a good charging infrastructure.

But for now, Uzzan’s focus is on capturing a piece of the gas market. “Forty million people stop into a gas station every day,” he told the news source. “Even if we have only 0.1% of them, that would be 40,000 users per day.”

Purple isn’t the first gas-filling startup to market. Filld, based in Palo Alto, Calif., also lets consumers hail tanks of gas like an Uber from their smartphone, and valet parking startup Luxe has mulled the idea of filling gas for its users, too.

DEL RIO, Texas — It took six months and seven deals, but convenience-store operator and fuel dealer Westex Capital Ltd. sold substantially all of its assets to multiple buyers, the company announced today.

“The sale of the assets of Westex and its affiliates was very complicated,” said CEO Robert Kusenberger Jr. “It quickly became obvious that we would not be able to find a single buyer for all of the retail and fuel/propane distribution assets.”

Instead, the properties were split up among seven different buyers, including Sunoco LP and Westex Capital’s own subsidiary Pico Propane Operating LLC, as reported in a 21 Century Smoke/CSP Daily News Flash.

Westex Capital’s history goes back to 1986, when two business partners Dr. Alvaro Lebrija and Robert C. Kusenberger Sr. acquired Westex Petroleum of Del Rio, Texas. Westex then acquired Pico Petroleum with the expressed intent of becoming a leader throughout West-Central Texas in the fuel distribution industry.

In December 1998, Robert Kusenberger Sr. acquired the interest from Lebrija, and Westex Capital Ltd. was born. Bohica Investment Ltd. was a more recent partner in the company, which began marketing its properties for sale early this year.

The assets consisted of26 convenience stores in several markets in South Central and West Texas, as well as a fuel and propane distribution business with six bulk-fuel-plant locations and five propane storage yards. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, Chicago, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Westex and its affiliates in connection with the sale.

• In March, NRC completed the sale of three convenience stores with gasoline located in South Central Texas to Farid Meghani. Two of these stores are unbranded and one is branded Valero.
• In April, NRC completed the sale of eight convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the San Antonio market to a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunoco LP. As previously reported, Stripes will operate the stores, and it will purchase all of the fuel sold at the locations from Sunoco LP. Six of the eight sites were branded Valero at the time of the sale.
• Also in April, NRC finalized the sale of seven convenience stores with gasoline located west of the San Antonio market to Maxey Family Limited Partnership. Six of these stores are unbranded and one store is branded Shell.
• In June, NRC concluded the sale of one convenience store with gasoline, located in Boerne, Texas, to Charles Reichenau. The store is branded Shamrock (an affiliate of Valero).
• At the end of August, NRC completed the sale of one unbranded convenience store with gasoline located in Poteet, Texas, to Karman Partners LLC, as well as the sale of six stores to WTG Fuels Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of West Texas Gas. These assets included six convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the Midland and Odessa market. Five of these stores are branded Shell and one store in Alpine is unbranded.
• Westex also completed the sale of the fuel and propane distribution business at the end of August. Pico Propane Operating LLC purchased the business, which included six bulk-fuel-plant locations, five propane storage yards, nine transport/tanker trucks and 19 refined fuel bobtails and 16 propane bobtails.

“NRC came up with creative solutions that proved highly efficient and successful, allowing us to clear the market on all of the company’s assets within a reasonable period of time,” Kusenberger said. “In addition, NRC provided invaluable assistance on legal and environmental matters, which served to reduce our costs of the transaction and our potential liability.”

“We were honored to have been able to represent the Kusenberger family in the sale of its retail and fuel/propane distribution business,” said Dennis Ruben, executive managing director of NRC. “The Kusenbergers built an amazing network of retail stores and a fuel and propane operation in Texas, and had loyal customers for many years. We were pleased that we were able to arrive at strategies that allowed all of the retail and fuel/propane assets to be sold to qualified buyers within the desired timeframe.”

DEL RIO, Texas — It took six months and seven deals, but convenience-store operator and fuel dealer Westex Capital Ltd. sold substantially all of its assets to multiple buyers, the company announced today.

“The sale of the assets of Westex and its affiliates was very complicated,” said CEO Robert Kusenberger Jr. “It quickly became obvious that we would not be able to find a single buyer for all of the retail and fuel/propane distribution assets.”

Instead, the properties were split up among seven different buyers, including Sunoco LP and Westex Capital’s own subsidiary Pico Propane Operating LLC, as reported in a 21 Century Smoke/CSP Daily News Flash.

Westex Capital’s history goes back to 1986, when two business partners Dr. Alvaro Lebrija and Robert C. Kusenberger Sr. acquired Westex Petroleum of Del Rio, Texas. Westex then acquired Pico Petroleum with the expressed intent of becoming a leader throughout West-Central Texas in the fuel distribution industry.

In December 1998, Robert Kusenberger Sr. acquired the interest from Lebrija, and Westex Capital Ltd. was born. Bohica Investment Ltd. was a more recent partner in the company, which began marketing its properties for sale early this year.

The assets consisted of26 convenience stores in several markets in South Central and West Texas, as well as a fuel and propane distribution business with six bulk-fuel-plant locations and five propane storage yards. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, Chicago, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Westex and its affiliates in connection with the sale.

• In March, NRC completed the sale of three convenience stores with gasoline located in South Central Texas to Farid Meghani. Two of these stores are unbranded and one is branded Valero.
• In April, NRC completed the sale of eight convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the San Antonio market to a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunoco LP. As previously reported, Stripes will operate the stores, and it will purchase all of the fuel sold at the locations from Sunoco LP. Six of the eight sites were branded Valero at the time of the sale.
• Also in April, NRC finalized the sale of seven convenience stores with gasoline located west of the San Antonio market to Maxey Family Limited Partnership. Six of these stores are unbranded and one store is branded Shell.
• In June, NRC concluded the sale of one convenience store with gasoline, located in Boerne, Texas, to Charles Reichenau. The store is branded Shamrock (an affiliate of Valero).
• At the end of August, NRC completed the sale of one unbranded convenience store with gasoline located in Poteet, Texas, to Karman Partners LLC, as well as the sale of six stores to WTG Fuels Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of West Texas Gas. These assets included six convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the Midland and Odessa market. Five of these stores are branded Shell and one store in Alpine is unbranded.
• Westex also completed the sale of the fuel and propane distribution business at the end of August. Pico Propane Operating LLC purchased the business, which included six bulk-fuel-plant locations, five propane storage yards, nine transport/tanker trucks and 19 refined fuel bobtails and 16 propane bobtails.

“NRC came up with creative solutions that proved highly efficient and successful, allowing us to clear the market on all of the company’s assets within a reasonable period of time,” Kusenberger said. “In addition, NRC provided invaluable assistance on legal and environmental matters, which served to reduce our costs of the transaction and our potential liability.”

“We were honored to have been able to represent the Kusenberger family in the sale of its retail and fuel/propane distribution business,” said Dennis Ruben, executive managing director of NRC. “The Kusenbergers built an amazing network of retail stores and a fuel and propane operation in Texas, and had loyal customers for many years. We were pleased that we were able to arrive at strategies that allowed all of the retail and fuel/propane assets to be sold to qualified buyers within the desired timeframe.”

DEL RIO, Texas — It took six months and seven deals, but convenience-store operator and fuel dealer Westex Capital Ltd. sold substantially all of its assets to multiple buyers, the company announced today.

“The sale of the assets of Westex and its affiliates was very complicated,” said CEO Robert Kusenberger Jr. “It quickly became obvious that we would not be able to find a single buyer for all of the retail and fuel/propane distribution assets.”

Instead, the properties were split up among seven different buyers, including Sunoco LP and Westex Capital’s own subsidiary Pico Propane Operating LLC, as reported in a 21 Century Smoke/CSP Daily News Flash.

Westex Capital’s history goes back to 1986, when two business partners Dr. Alvaro Lebrija and Robert C. Kusenberger Sr. acquired Westex Petroleum of Del Rio, Texas. Westex then acquired Pico Petroleum with the expressed intent of becoming a leader throughout West-Central Texas in the fuel distribution industry.

In December 1998, Robert Kusenberger Sr. acquired the interest from Lebrija, and Westex Capital Ltd. was born. Bohica Investment Ltd. was a more recent partner in the company, which began marketing its properties for sale early this year.

The assets consisted of26 convenience stores in several markets in South Central and West Texas, as well as a fuel and propane distribution business with six bulk-fuel-plant locations and five propane storage yards. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, Chicago, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Westex and its affiliates in connection with the sale.

• In March, NRC completed the sale of three convenience stores with gasoline located in South Central Texas to Farid Meghani. Two of these stores are unbranded and one is branded Valero.
• In April, NRC completed the sale of eight convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the San Antonio market to a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunoco LP. As previously reported, Stripes will operate the stores, and it will purchase all of the fuel sold at the locations from Sunoco LP. Six of the eight sites were branded Valero at the time of the sale.
• Also in April, NRC finalized the sale of seven convenience stores with gasoline located west of the San Antonio market to Maxey Family Limited Partnership. Six of these stores are unbranded and one store is branded Shell.
• In June, NRC concluded the sale of one convenience store with gasoline, located in Boerne, Texas, to Charles Reichenau. The store is branded Shamrock (an affiliate of Valero).
• At the end of August, NRC completed the sale of one unbranded convenience store with gasoline located in Poteet, Texas, to Karman Partners LLC, as well as the sale of six stores to WTG Fuels Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of West Texas Gas. These assets included six convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the Midland and Odessa market. Five of these stores are branded Shell and one store in Alpine is unbranded.
• Westex also completed the sale of the fuel and propane distribution business at the end of August. Pico Propane Operating LLC purchased the business, which included six bulk-fuel-plant locations, five propane storage yards, nine transport/tanker trucks and 19 refined fuel bobtails and 16 propane bobtails.

“NRC came up with creative solutions that proved highly efficient and successful, allowing us to clear the market on all of the company’s assets within a reasonable period of time,” Kusenberger said. “In addition, NRC provided invaluable assistance on legal and environmental matters, which served to reduce our costs of the transaction and our potential liability.”

“We were honored to have been able to represent the Kusenberger family in the sale of its retail and fuel/propane distribution business,” said Dennis Ruben, executive managing director of NRC. “The Kusenbergers built an amazing network of retail stores and a fuel and propane operation in Texas, and had loyal customers for many years. We were pleased that we were able to arrive at strategies that allowed all of the retail and fuel/propane assets to be sold to qualified buyers within the desired timeframe.”

DEL RIO, Texas — It took six months and seven deals, but convenience-store operator and fuel dealer Westex Capital Ltd. sold substantially all of its assets to multiple buyers, the company announced today.

“The sale of the assets of Westex and its affiliates was very complicated,” said CEO Robert Kusenberger Jr. “It quickly became obvious that we would not be able to find a single buyer for all of the retail and fuel/propane distribution assets.”

Instead, the properties were split up among seven different buyers, including Sunoco LP and Westex Capital’s own subsidiary Pico Propane Operating LLC, as reported in a 21 Century Smoke/CSP Daily News Flash.

Westex Capital’s history goes back to 1986, when two business partners Dr. Alvaro Lebrija and Robert C. Kusenberger Sr. acquired Westex Petroleum of Del Rio, Texas. Westex then acquired Pico Petroleum with the expressed intent of becoming a leader throughout West-Central Texas in the fuel distribution industry.

In December 1998, Robert Kusenberger Sr. acquired the interest from Lebrija, and Westex Capital Ltd. was born. Bohica Investment Ltd. was a more recent partner in the company, which began marketing its properties for sale early this year.

The assets consisted of26 convenience stores in several markets in South Central and West Texas, as well as a fuel and propane distribution business with six bulk-fuel-plant locations and five propane storage yards. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, Chicago, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Westex and its affiliates in connection with the sale.

• In March, NRC completed the sale of three convenience stores with gasoline located in South Central Texas to Farid Meghani. Two of these stores are unbranded and one is branded Valero.
• In April, NRC completed the sale of eight convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the San Antonio market to a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunoco LP. As previously reported, Stripes will operate the stores, and it will purchase all of the fuel sold at the locations from Sunoco LP. Six of the eight sites were branded Valero at the time of the sale.
• Also in April, NRC finalized the sale of seven convenience stores with gasoline located west of the San Antonio market to Maxey Family Limited Partnership. Six of these stores are unbranded and one store is branded Shell.
• In June, NRC concluded the sale of one convenience store with gasoline, located in Boerne, Texas, to Charles Reichenau. The store is branded Shamrock (an affiliate of Valero).
• At the end of August, NRC completed the sale of one unbranded convenience store with gasoline located in Poteet, Texas, to Karman Partners LLC, as well as the sale of six stores to WTG Fuels Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of West Texas Gas. These assets included six convenience stores with gasoline located in and around the Midland and Odessa market. Five of these stores are branded Shell and one store in Alpine is unbranded.
• Westex also completed the sale of the fuel and propane distribution business at the end of August. Pico Propane Operating LLC purchased the business, which included six bulk-fuel-plant locations, five propane storage yards, nine transport/tanker trucks and 19 refined fuel bobtails and 16 propane bobtails.

“NRC came up with creative solutions that proved highly efficient and successful, allowing us to clear the market on all of the company’s assets within a reasonable period of time,” Kusenberger said. “In addition, NRC provided invaluable assistance on legal and environmental matters, which served to reduce our costs of the transaction and our potential liability.”

“We were honored to have been able to represent the Kusenberger family in the sale of its retail and fuel/propane distribution business,” said Dennis Ruben, executive managing director of NRC. “The Kusenbergers built an amazing network of retail stores and a fuel and propane operation in Texas, and had loyal customers for many years. We were pleased that we were able to arrive at strategies that allowed all of the retail and fuel/propane assets to be sold to qualified buyers within the desired timeframe.”