Answering Aunt Edna

Key Points

Most gas stations are small businesses. Whether you’re filling your gas tank or your coffee mug at your favorite neighborhood Chevron or Texaco station, you are more than likely supporting a small-business owner.

I take pride in buying local and supporting small businesses – but how do I do that when buying gasoline or diesel at a Chevron or Texaco station?

Most Chevron and Texaco retail stations are owned and operated by independent retailers. These retailers shouldn’t be confused with major oil companies. They’re small-business owners — residents of your local community who are working to support their families, just like you. They are also hiring locally, enabling the livelihood for their staff and contributing to the local economy.

Annie Marszal is one of these retailers. When consumers buy fuel or convenience store items at one of her California Chevron stations, they aren’t just fueling their cars – they’re fueling a family legacy.

“There is a big misconception among drivers who see the oil company logo and think that’s who we are,” said Marszal, who works closely with her brother, Adam, to run the company her father started more than three decades ago. “People don’t associate this as a small business, but it is.”

As a small-business owner, Marszal knows what it means to get her hands dirty. When she joined the company at age 27, her father had her work her way up from the bottom. She started as a cashier – a humbling change for a woman who had just left a lucrative advertising career in New York City. Marszal said the experience gave her a new perspective on what it takes to make a small business successful.

“It’s really about people. We always keep our customers the priority because we appreciate every one of them,” she continued. “Every gallon of gas, every bag of chips they buy makes a difference to our family.”

Annie Marszal (center) poses with her father, Edward (left), and brother, Adam (right), by a vintage gasoline pump at their business office in Carmichael, California.

Annie Marszal is just one example of the small-business owners Chevron supports. There are thousands of others – each with a different background, story and dream – in our retailer family.

What is Chevron’s role in supplying these retailers?

Gas station owners, not oil companies, determine prices at the pump. For Chevron and Texaco stations, Chevron sells fuels to retailers at a market-based, wholesale price. Retailers then determine the purchase price for consumers based on factors mentioned above – such as costs and taxes, their own business strategies, local competitor prices, etc.

Does Chevron own and operate any stations in the U.S.?

Chevron is proud to own some stations in the Western U.S., approximately 300 stations, or around 4 percent of the nearly 8,000 Chevron and Texaco-branded retail stations across the country.
The rest of the Chevron and Texaco stations you see around the country are great examples of how Chevron supports people, progress and the economy. We provide energy to Chevron and Texaco-brand retailers, so they can fuel their customers day, after day, after day.

Action Item

If you want to buy local and support small-business owners in your community, be sure to fill up at your local Chevron or Texaco station. Plus: Share this information by clicking the social media buttons on the left!