METCO
METCO is a family-owned petroleum equipment and fueling systems contractor providing turn-key installation, service, testing, environmental consulting, and parts for retail gas stations, municipalities, and industrial facilities across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersHillsboro, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What METCO does
METCO, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned petroleum equipment contractor founded in 1979 by Ralph Knower in Hillsboro, Wisconsin, and now led by third-generation owner Paul Knower. The company provides turn-key installation, on-site service, testing and compliance, tank removals, environmental consulting, and parts/supply for underground and aboveground fuel storage and dispensing systems. Its primary customers are retail gas stations and convenience stores, with secondary segments in municipal and government fleet fueling and industrial/commercial tank systems (backup generators, boilers, lube and waste-oil systems for hospitals, airports, and utilities). METCO distributes and services equipment from major petroleum OEMs including Gilbarco, Franklin Fueling/INCON, OPW, Verifone, Fuelmaster, and Bennett Pump, positioning itself as the regional implementation and service layer across the dominant fuel-site hardware stack.
The business model is service-led and project-based: revenue is generated through quoted installation projects, recurring testing and compliance contracts (UST/AST inspections, leak detection, cathodic protection, meter calibration), 24/7 emergency service calls, environmental assessment and remediation engagements, and counter/delivery parts sales. A direct sales team organized by service line (Testing & Compliance, Service, Construction, Equipment, Parts, Environmental) drives origination, supplemented by digital channels (industry blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, email newsletter) and active membership in the Petroleum Equipment Institute and Wisconsin Fuel & Retail Association. CAD-based site design has been in-house since 1989, and the firm operates an in-house mobile soil laboratory with Geoprobe drilling capability for environmental work.
METCO serves the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa from its Hillsboro headquarters and a La Crosse environmental office, with multiple technician dispatch points across southern Wisconsin to support 24/7 response. Owner-led commentary indicates sales roughly doubled with minimal overhead growth; service technician headcount expanded from 6 to 13 and construction capacity tripled to three simultaneous ground-up projects. Notable customers include Kwik Trip, UPS, the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, the City of La Crosse, Blue Sky Flight (aviation), and a long tail of SMB retailers. METCO has no external investors and no disclosed M&A or funding activity.
METCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- METCO
- Legal name
- METCO, Inc.
- Website
- https://metcofs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- METCO is a family-owned petroleum equipment and fueling systems contractor providing turn-key installation, service, testing, environmental consulting, and parts for retail gas stations, municipalities, and industrial facilities across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where METCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hillsboro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
METCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Installation Services: Installation of fuel storage tank and dispensing systems at retail gas stations, commercial fueling facilities, and industrial sites. Services include underground/aboveground tanks, dispensers, piping, submersible pumps, and other petroleum equipment.
- Service Repair & Equipment Upgrades: On-site repair, maintenance, and upgrades for fuel storage tank and dispensing systems. Includes 24-hour on-call response, point-of-sale systems, tank monitors, card systems, and preventative maintenance programs.
- Testing & Compliance: Testing and compliance services including tank/line/leak detection testing, tank equipment functionality testing, cathodic protection testing, hydrostatic sump testing, meter calibration, filter changes, and AST/UST monthly compliance inspections.
- Environmental Consulting: Environmental consulting services including tank removal site assessments, Phase 1/2 environmental site assessments, subsurface investigations, soil and groundwater sampling, remediation, and PetroFund applications.
- Parts & Supplies: Over-the-counter sales of service parts, special orders, delivery or customer pickup, with discounts/promotions and special pricing.
- Tank Removals: Complete tank removal services including permitting, soil/groundwater sampling, tank disposal, over-excavation, excavation backfilling, surface restoration, and final report preparation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Professional services billed by project/contract |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Seasonal promotions for filter changes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
METCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
METCO is a turn-key contractor that installs, services, tests, and removes fuel storage and dispensing systems for retail gas stations, municipalities/government fleets, and industrial facilities across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. The company sells engineering, construction, compliance testing, 24/7 emergency repair, parts, and environmental consulting/remediation services bundled around petroleum equipment.
Product overview
METCO is a fuel system services company offering a unified portfolio of installation, service, environmental consulting, and compliance services. The company operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core service lines include fuel system installation (retail, commercial, and fleet applications), service repair and equipment upgrades (with 24/7 emergency response), testing and compliance, tank removals, parts and supplies, and environmental consulting. METCO also distributes equipment product lines from manufacturers including Gilbarco (retail dispensers, Passport POS), Veeder-Root and INCON (tank monitors), Verifone (POS), Fuelmaster and OPW (card systems), FE Petro and Red Jacket (submersible pumps), and various other petroleum equipment suppliers. The company serves the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, with primary customers including retail gas stations, municipalities, government institutions, and industrial facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fuel System Installation
Quantifiable outcome
- Substantial sales growth (almost double) achieved with minimal overhead increase
Companies that use METCO
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
METCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
METCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Smiths DetectioncoreStrategic localization agreement signed at World Defense Show to support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and enhance local defense capabilities. Focuses on localizing surveillance and monitoring systems.
- Teledyne FLIRcoreStrategic localization agreement signed at World Defense Show to support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and enhance local defense capabilities. Focuses on localizing defense and monitoring systems.
- Gilbarco Veeder-RootmajorEquipment partner providing fuel dispensers, tank monitoring systems, and point-of-sale systems. METCO installs and services Gilbarco products including Encore dispensers, Passport POS, and Veeder-Root tank monitors.
- Franklin Fueling SystemsmajorEquipment partner providing INCON tank monitors, FE Petro submersible pumps, and service station hardware. METCO installs and services Franklin Fueling products.
- OPWmajorEquipment partner providing fuel management systems, nozzles, and fueling products. METCO installs and services OPW equipment including card systems and fuel control.
- Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI)majorIndustry association founded in 1951 representing petroleum equipment manufacturers, sellers, and contractors. PEI represents over 1600 companies in all 50 states and over 80 countries.
- Wisconsin Fuel & Retail Association (WFRA)majorTrade association representing over 500 independent businesses in Wisconsin. Lobbies for favorable business climates and informs members about petroleum industry needs.
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP)majorState agency administering petroleum hazardous storage tank regulations. METCO works with DATCP-certified inspectors and follows DATCP requirements for tank installation and testing.
- Patriot Capital CorporationminorFinancing partner for c-store equipment through Gilbarco Veeder-Root partnership. Offers equipment financing for fuel dispenser upgrades and c-store equipment.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
METCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tanknology / AQUALIS: AQUALIS (formerly Tanknology) is the largest tank testing, compliance, and environmental services company in North America, directly competing with METCO's testing, compliance, and environmental consulting service lines across similar retail, commercial, and government customer segments.
- Petroleum Service Group (PSG): PSG is a multi-state petroleum equipment service contractor offering fuel system installation, service, and compliance across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, directly comparable to METCO's integrated service model and geographic profile.
- Guardian Fueling Technologies: Guardian Fueling Technologies is a national fuel system installation and service contractor competing with METCO in commercial and retail fueling projects, with overlapping product capabilities (tanks, dispensers, piping) and customer types.
- All American Petroleum Equipment Co. A regional Midwest fuel system installer and service provider with a similar turn-key offering (installation, service, compliance, parts) to METCO, operating across comparable geographies and customer segments.
- T.F. Hudgins Inc. T.F. Hudgins is a petroleum equipment distributor and service contractor offering fuel system installation, parts, and compliance services — directly comparable to METCO across product categories and end customers.
- FBD Partnership: FBD Partnership is a Midwest-based petroleum equipment distributor and service company installing and servicing fuel systems for retail, commercial, and fleet customers — a regional peer with a similar business model to METCO.
- Heritage Petroleum Equipment: Heritage Petroleum Equipment provides fuel system design, installation, and service across the Midwest, directly overlapping METCO's turn-key retail and commercial fueling offerings and customer base.
- Pexson / PSC Group: PSC Group (formerly Pexson) provides petroleum construction, maintenance, and compliance services with a national footprint, directly competing with METCO's installation, service, and testing capabilities for fuel systems.
Broad incumbents
- Gilbarco Veeder-Root: Gilbarco is the dominant manufacturer of fuel dispensers, POS systems, and tank monitoring equipment globally. While METCO is a Gilbarco installation partner rather than direct competitor, Gilbarco's broader service and integrator network positions it as an overlapping capability provider in the same value chain.
- OPW (a Dover company): OPW is a leading manufacturer of fuel management systems, nozzles, and fueling products serving the same downstream petroleum customers as METCO. While primarily an equipment supplier to METCO, OPW's broader portfolio places it as an adjacent incumbent in the same ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
METCO social profiles
Digital presenceMETCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
METCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
METCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
METCO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about METCO
What does METCO do?
METCO is a turn-key contractor that installs, services, tests, and removes fuel storage and dispensing systems for retail gas stations, municipalities/government fleets, and industrial facilities across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. The company sells engineering, construction, compliance testing, 24/7 emergency repair, parts, and environmental consulting/remediation services bundled around petroleum equipment.
Is METCO a public or private company?
METCO is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was METCO founded?
METCO was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is METCO based?
METCO is headquartered in Hillsboro, United States, in the North America region.
How does METCO make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Installation Services are the primary driver. The others are service Repair & Equipment Upgrades, testing & Compliance, environmental Consulting, parts & Supplies and tank Removals.
Who are METCO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tanknology / AQUALIS, Petroleum Service Group (PSG), Guardian Fueling Technologies, All American Petroleum Equipment Co., T.F. Hudgins Inc., FBD Partnership, Heritage Petroleum Equipment and Pexson / PSC Group. Broad incumbents are Gilbarco Veeder-Root and OPW (a Dover company).
Does METCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for METCO.