Ports Petroleum Company

What Ports Petroleum Company does

Ports Petroleum Company, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned fuel and petroleum products distributor founded in 1948 by Milton Ports in Wooster, Ohio. The company wholesales and transports a diversified mix of petroleum products, including Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, gasoline grades, biodiesel and renewable fuels, kerosene, and heating oil, alongside its proprietary ArmorBlue diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), Gladiator and Polar Protection fuel additives, and a growing catalog of branded and third-party DEF equipment. Operations span nationwide wholesale distribution through an owned fleet supplemented by common carrier partnerships, last-mile delivery into Ohio and surrounding states, and retail operations under the Fuel Mart convenience store and unbranded fuel station banner across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and South Dakota.

The business runs on a sales-led go-to-market model with quote-based B2B contracts, day deals, spot pricing, and benchmark contracts, complemented by 24/7 customer service, a customer portal, and a mobile application for ordering and account management. Recurring customer relationships are reinforced through a Keep-Fill automatic delivery program with tank monitoring, a Market Watch program that times loads around price changes, and free DEF quality testing. The company holds API certification for its DEF products manufactured to ISO 22241 specifications and is actively involved in industry trade associations, including recent public support for federal biodiesel blender tax credit legislation. The company has no disclosed outside investors, no parent company, and operates as a wholly bootstrapped enterprise with one core operating subsidiary (Fuel Mart).

Name

Ports Petroleum Company

Legal name

Ports Petroleum Company, Inc.

Website

https://portspetroleum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ports Petroleum Company is a family-owned wholesaler and transporter, founded in 1948 in Wooster, Ohio, distributing diesel, gasoline, biodiesel, heating oil, proprietary ArmorBlue DEF, fuel additives, and DEF equipment nationwide, and operating Fuel Mart retail stores across four states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fuel and Petroleum Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710), Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (4247), Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (except Bulk Stations and Terminals) (424720), Gasoline Stations (4571)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals (5171), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172), Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Fuels Wholesaling & Jobber Distribution (EUALAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unbranded/Spot Fuels Distribution (Rack Sales) (EUALAIAC), Retail Service Station Operations (Company-Owned & Dealer-Operated) (EUALAIAA), Convenience Retail & Foodservice at Forecourts (C-Store/QSR) (EUALAIAE), Crude Oil & Petroleum Products Tanker Transport (TLADALAA)

Keywords

• Wholesale fuel distribution
• Diesel exhaust fluid
• Fuel additives
• Fuel transportation
• Retail fuel stations

Headquarters

HQ city

Wooster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Fuel Sales: Bulk fuel distribution including diesel, gasoline, biodiesel, kerosene, and heating oil. Contract sales allow customers to buy fuel at fixed costs for determined periods. Also offers day deals, spot pricing, and benchmark contracts.
2. Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF): Sales of ArmorBlue branded DEF and other DEF products in various packaging sizes from 1-gallon containers to bulk deliveries up to 5,200 gallons.
3. Fuel Additives: Proprietary Gladiator and Polar Protection branded fuel additives for diesel and gasoline applications.
4. DEF Equipment: Sales of DEF pumps, meters, nozzles, and dispensing equipment including ArmorBlue branded products and third-party suppliers.
5. Fuel Mart Retail Operations: Convenience store and unbranded retail fuel station operations under Fuel Mart brand in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and South Dakota.
6. Transportation Services: Fuel delivery through owned fleet and partnered common carriers. Local deliveries including home heating oil and farm fuel. Tank installation and rental services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ports Petroleum Company wholesales and transports petroleum products, manufacturing and distributing its own branded ArmorBlue diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and Gladiator/Polar Protection fuel additives. The company also sells DEF dispensing equipment, operates retail fuel stations and convenience stores under the Fuel Mart brand, and provides fuel transportation and home heating oil delivery through an owned fleet and common carrier network.

Product overview

Ports Petroleum Company is a family-owned fuel and petroleum products distributor founded in 1948, offering a diversified portfolio of products organized into five core areas: (1) Wholesale Fuels including Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, gasoline grades, biodiesel blends, and renewable fuels; (2) ArmorBlue-branded Diesel Exhaust Fluid and comprehensive DEF Equipment including pumps (TD1, TED1, Piston, Piusi Rotary Drum/Tote), mobile carts, outdoor solutions (DEF Shield, Cube, Heated Blanket), quality assurance tools, nozzles, meters, and accessories; (3) Gladiator-branded fuel additives for winter, summer, and preventative maintenance; (4) Fuel Mart unbranded retail fuel stations and convenience stores; and (5) Transportation and logistics services. The company also operates a Smart Rewards Card loyalty program. Products are sold wholesale to commercial customers and through retail Fuel Mart locations, with DEF equipment also available through Amazon.com marketplace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ArmorBlue: API certified diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) brand manufactured by Ports Petroleum, compatible with Tier 4 final compliant equipment using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology.
• Gladiator
• Polar Protection

Products and services

• Wholesale Fuel Wholesale distribution of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, gasoline (Regular, Midgrade, Premium), biodiesel, ethanol blends, kerosene, and heating oil to commercial customers nationwide, available via contract sales, day deals, spot pricing, and benchmark contracts.
• ArmorBlue Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) API-certified 32.5% urea solution DEF for Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems in Tier 4 final compliant diesel equipment, available in packaging from 1-gallon containers to bulk deliveries up to 5,200 gallons.
• Gladiator Diesel Fuel Additives Proprietary branded diesel fuel additives with year-round engine protection, including winterized Gladiator formulas (improving low-temperature filterability 12-24°F below cloud point, increasing cetane number up to 2 points) and Gladiator Summer formulas (restoring 100% of rated horsepower).
• Polar Protection Winter Additive Winter fuel additive containing Heavy Wax Modifiers and Wax Anti-Settling Agent (WASA) that improves low-temperature operability of diesel fuel and reduces cold filter plugging point and pour point.
• Bug-out Sticks and FQS 1.5 Microbicide Fuel system treatment products that eliminate bacteria and fungi from infected fuels and protect stored fuel against microbial contamination.
• DEF Dispensing Equipment Complete DEF equipment line including ArmorBlue TD1 and TED1 pumps, ArmorBlue piston hand pump, Piusi rotary tote and drum pumps, DC30 mobile cart, DEF Shield tote enclosure, ArmorBlue Cube storage system, heated blanket, gravity kit, flow meters, manual and auto nozzles, Misco Palm Abbe DEF-201 quality testing tools, and accessories.
• Fuel Transportation and Delivery Services Bulk fuel delivery, small delivery, on-site mobile fueling, home heating oil delivery, and tank installation/rental services performed by a company-owned fleet supplemented by common carrier partnerships to provide nationwide coverage.
• Fuel Mart Retail Stores Owned and operated convenience stores and unbranded retail fuel stations under the Fuel Mart brand, located in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and South Dakota.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free DEF testing available to all customers regardless of supplier
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cleveland CavaliersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Small Business Partnership announced with the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA team. Marketing and brand visibility partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• QuikTrip: QuikTrip is a large privately held convenience store and fuel retailer with strong Midwest presence (including Ohio and Illinois) operating company-owned retail fuel and convenience locations. Comparable on private, integrated retail fuel and convenience operations in overlapping geographies, but at substantially larger scale.
• Sheetz: Sheetz is a large family-owned convenience store and fuel retailer with on-site DEF, proprietary food offerings, and loyalty programs across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Comparable on family-owned vertical integration from retail fuel to convenience and DEF availability, though concentrated in different geographies.
• Casey's General Stores: Casey's is a publicly traded convenience store and fuel retailer with over 2,500 locations across the Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and South Dakota — direct geographic overlap with Fuel Mart. Comparable on retail fuel, convenience, and loyalty programs in the same Midwest states but at vastly larger scale.
• Pilot Flying J: Pilot Flying J is the largest operator of travel centers and truck stops in North America, combining retail fuel, DEF at the pump, convenience stores, and fleet fuel cards. Comparable on retail fuel and DEF at consumer/truck-stop scale, but operates at vastly larger scale and as a Berkshire Hathaway-owned national platform.
• Love's Travel Stops: Love's is a national travel stop and convenience store chain with on-site DEF, fuel, and fleet services across 40+ states. Comparable on retail fuel, DEF, and fleet services for commercial trucking customers, but at much larger scale with corporate-owned locations and broader geographic reach.
• RaceTrac: RaceTrac operates a large network of convenience stores and unbranded retail fuel stations across the Midwest and Southeast. Comparable on unbranded retail fuel and convenience store operations in Ohio/Indiana-adjacent states, though at significantly larger footprint scale.
• Old World Industries (BlueDEF): Old World Industries is the manufacturer of BlueDEF, the leading branded DEF in North America, and a major fuel/lubricant distributor. Comparable on DEF branding and tier-1 DEF market positioning, but operates at materially larger scale with national retail distribution and downstream consumer packaging.

Direct peers

• Mansfield Energy Corp: Mansfield Energy is a national fuel and energy distributor focused on commercial, government, and municipal accounts with nationwide delivery and a broad fuel/lubricant/DEF portfolio. Directly comparable on B2B fuel distribution to fleets, municipalities, and government buyers across multiple U.S. regions.
• Palmdale Oil Company: Palmdale Oil is a regional petroleum distributor serving commercial, industrial, and government customers across the Southeast with branded fuels, DEF, lubricants, and delivery services. Comparable on multi-product wholesale distribution and contract/spot pricing structures for B2B fuel customers.
• RKA Petroleum Companies: RKA Petroleum is a regional fuel and lubricant wholesaler serving commercial, industrial, and government customers across the Midwest and Southeast with a similar multi-product distribution model. Highly comparable on wholesale fuel, DEF, and additive mix serving fleet and municipal accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/portspetroleum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portspetroleum
• Instagraminstagram.com/ports.petroleum
• Xx.com/portspetroleum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ports Petroleum Company