Cockerham Energy

What Cockerham Energy does

Cockerham Energy, operating as a division of Milo C. Cockerham, Inc., is a third-generation family-owned fuel distribution and diversified retail business founded in October 1945 in Galax, Virginia. The company distributes propane, heating oil, kerosene, diesel fuels, gasoline, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers across Southwest Virginia (Galax, Carroll, Grayson, and Wythe counties) and Northwest North Carolina (Alleghany, Surry, and Stokes counties). It sells and services propane, oil, and kerosene-fueled appliances — including fireplaces, heaters, furnaces, tankless water heaters, and the Toyostove Laser heater — through a showroom at 207 Bartlett Street, Galax, supplemented by partnerships with Thermopride, Toyotomi, Rinnai, White Mountain Hearth, Buck Stove, and Empire Heating Systems. Delivery operations are run on a company-owned transport fleet offering both Automatic Delivery Service (monitored, scheduled refills) and Will Call (customer-initiated), with a centrally located warehouse and bulk tank storage facility in Galax.

The company has expanded beyond energy into adjacent retail and hospitality operations. It runs nine convenience store locations across Galax, Hillsville, and Fancy Gap under Amoco and BP brands — including Cockerham #1, Tire & Auto #2 (with auto repair and Bobcat/Husqvarna outdoor power equipment), Fuel Center #4 (a truck stop with five diesel lanes, deli, showers, overnight parking, and Wi-Fi), and Food Mart #5 through #9 — operating as a Channel Partner/Reseller for BP, Amoco, and Citgo fuels. Beyond fuel retail, Cockerham Energy owns and operates the Hampton Inn Hillsville hotel (90 rooms, free breakfast, indoor pool, fitness facility, meeting room) at Exit 14 off I-77, and a Pizza Inn/TCBY restaurant, both at Farmers Market Drive in Hillsville. The corporate office is at 388 N Railroad Avenue, Galax, VA, and total employment is in the 51-100 range. Customer billing is supported by the Budget Payment Plan (11 equal monthly installments with no finance charges for timely payment) and QuickClick online payment processing.

The business model is overwhelmingly transactional: revenue comes from per-gallon fuel sales to end customers and dealers, hardware sales of appliances and lubricants, retail transactions at convenience stores, and per-night/per-cover hospitality and restaurant revenue. There is no disclosed recurring subscription revenue stream and no proprietary technology platform; QuickClick integration is limited to payment processing. Marketing relies on a company blog, Facebook pages for each convenience store plus the hotel and restaurant, an Instagram presence, and direct phone/office contact. The company remains privately held under family ownership with no external investors, parent company, or public financial disclosure.

Name

Cockerham Energy

Legal name

Milo C. Cockerham, Inc.

Website

https://cockerhamenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cockerham Energy is a third-generation family-owned fuel distributor based in Galax, Virginia, selling propane, heating oil, kerosene, diesel, gasoline, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers across Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina, alongside nine branded convenience stores, a Hampton Inn hotel, and a Pizza Inn restaurant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Propane and Petroleum Distribution

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Fuel, Propane & Energy Supply for Farms (Retailer-Operated) (AFABAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outdoor Cooking, Grills & Fuel Retail (CRAMAMAD)

Keywords

• Propane distribution
• Heating oil delivery
• Petroleum products
• Fuel delivery services
• Convenience store operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Galax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fuel Products Sales: Sale of propane, heating oil, kerosene, diesel fuels, and gasoline to residential and commercial consumers. Products delivered directly to customer tanks via company-owned transport fleet.
2. Appliance Sales and Service: Sale and distribution of propane, oil, and kerosene-fueled appliances including fireplaces, heaters, furnaces, tankless water heaters, and Toyostove Laser heaters. Also provides related installation support.
3. Lubricants and Specialty Oils: Sale of high-performance oils, greases, and lubricants including hydraulic oil, gear oil, engine oil. Products sold in cases, drums, and pails from warehouse inventory.
4. Convenience Store Operations: Operation of multiple convenience store locations (Cockerham #1, Tire & Auto #2, Fuel Center #4, Food Mart #5-9) offering fuel, ATM, lottery, car wash, deli, and other retail services under Amoco and BP brands.
5. Hospitality Services: Operation of Hampton Inn hotel in Hillsville, Virginia providing lodging, free breakfast, indoor pool, fitness facility, meeting room, and Wi-Fi services.
6. Restaurant Operations: Ownership/operation of Pizza Inn/TCBY restaurant in Hillsville, Virginia offering pizza, wings, subs, dine-in, carry out, delivery, and frozen yogurt services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cockerham Energy is a 3rd generation family-owned distributor of propane, heating oil, kerosene, diesel fuels, gasoline, and lubricants delivered directly to residential and commercial customer tanks across Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina. The company also sells and supports propane, oil, and kerosene-fueled appliances, and runs a complementary network of branded convenience stores, a Hampton Inn hotel, and a Pizza Inn/TCBY restaurant.

Product overview

Cockerham Energy is a third-generation family-owned energy company providing a diversified portfolio of fuel products and services. The core offerings include propane, heating oil, kerosene, diesel fuels, gasoline, and lubricants sold to residential and commercial consumers. The company operates alongside a complementary appliance division offering propane, oil, and kerosene-fueled appliances including fireplaces, heaters, furnaces, tankless water heaters, and the Toyostove Laser Heater. Service capabilities include automatic delivery monitoring and budget payment plans. The business has expanded into retail convenience stores (operating under Amoco and BP brands), hospitality (Hampton Inn), and restaurant operations (Pizza Inn/TCBY), serving customers across Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cockerham Energy: Primary brand name for propane, heating oil, petroleum products and related services
• Cockerham #1
• Cockerham Tire & Auto #2
• Cockerham Fuel Center #4
• Cockerham Food Mart #5
• Cockerham Food Mart #6
• Cockerham Food Mart #7
• Cockerham Food Mart #8
• Cockerham Food Mart #9
• Hampton Inn Hillsville
• Pizza Inn/TCBY

Products and services

• Propane Clean propane gas (efficiency up to 99%) supplied via company-owned transport to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers for home heating, water heating, cooking, clothes drying, fireplaces, generators, and outdoor living applications.
• Heating Oil Ultra low sulphur heating oil (15 ppm sulphur) delivered to residential and commercial tanks; modern oil heating equipment achieves efficiency ratings over 90%, providing roughly 140,000 BTUs per gallon.
• Kerosene Clean-burning dyed kerosene for home heating; has a lower flash point than conventional heating oil and typically does not gel in winter, supporting reliable operation in cold temperatures.
• Diesel Fuels and Gasoline E10 gasoline, ultra-low sulphur highway diesel, and dyed ultra-low sulphur off-road diesel delivered directly to commercial and agricultural fuel tanks.
• Lubricants High-performance oils, greases, and lubricants including hydraulic oil, gear oil, engine oil, and various greases from brands including Gulf, Citgo, Chevron, Super S, Warren, Shell, and Mobil, sold in cases, drums, and pails from warehouse inventory.
• Toyostove Laser Heater Toyotomi direct-vent heating system providing central-heating comfort in a compact unit; operates on K-1 kerosene, No. 1 low sulphur fuel oil, or ultra-low sulphur heating oil; requires no chimney, ductwork, plumbing, or electrical work.
• Propane Fireplaces and Logs Gas fireplaces and logs from White Mountain Hearth and Buck Stove that add warmth, comfort, and ambiance to living spaces.
• Propane Heaters and Furnaces Vented and vent-free propane space heaters and furnaces from Empire Heating Systems for residential and light commercial space heating.

Quantifiable outcome

• Propane furnaces heat homes for about half the cost of electricity according to U.S. Department of Energy
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCockerham Energy distributes BP-branded fuels through their convenience stores and commercial fuel operations, including Cockerham Tire & Auto #2 which operates under the BP brand.
• AmococoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCockerham Energy distributes Amoco-branded fuels, with Cockerham #1 convenience store operating under the Amoco brand offering Diesel, Off Road Diesel, Kerosene, ATM, Lottery, Car Wash, and EBT services.
• CitgominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCockerham Energy offers Citgo fuels as part of their fuel product portfolio for dealers, commercial customers, and consumers.
• Sheffield FinancialminorOthersFinancing options available for equipment purchases at Cockerham Tire & Auto #2 through Sheffield Financial loan application.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Murphy USA: Public convenience store and fuel retailer operating company-owned and Walmart-adjacent locations across the U.S. Overlaps with Cockerham's Amoco/BP-branded convenience and fuel retail footprint, with much broader scale.
• Sunoco LP: Master limited partnership focused on fuel distribution and retail, including propane and refined products distribution to dealers and end customers. Comparable on the wholesale/dealer fuel side of Cockerham's business, though operating at materially greater scale and geographic scope.
• RaceTrac: Family-owned U.S. convenience store and fuel retailer with company-operated locations across the Southeast and beyond. Overlaps with Cockerham's family-owned, multi-store convenience and fuel retail operations at substantially larger scale.
• Pilot Travel Centers: Largest U.S. operator of travel centers/truck stops with retail fuel, food, and convenience offerings along major highway corridors. Overlaps with Cockerham's Cockerham Fuel Center #4 truck stop and Amoco/BP-branded convenience store network at a national scale.

Direct peers

• Ferrellgas Partners: Retail propane distributor with a national footprint serving residential, commercial, and agricultural customers through company-operated routes and refill centers. Directly comparable business model to Cockerham's propane, heating oil, and lubricant portfolio, including tank and appliance offerings.
• Blossman Gas: Family-rooted regional propane distributor headquartered in the Southeast serving residential, commercial, and agricultural customers with company delivery fleets and appliance showrooms. Highly comparable to Cockerham on regional scale, family culture, and product/appliance cross-sell.
• AmeriGas Propane: Largest U.S. retail propane marketer, distributing propane to residential, commercial, agricultural, and motor fuel customers via company-owned delivery routes. Closest comparable to Cockerham's core propane delivery and dealer/wholesale channels across rural Appalachia-type markets.
• Suburban Propane Partners: One of the largest retail propane distributors in the United States, serving residential, commercial, and agricultural customers with company-operated delivery fleets. Directly comparable to Cockerham Energy's propane distribution and automatic-delivery model, though at vastly greater national scale.

Regional players

• Wawa: Privately held Mid-Atlantic convenience store and fuel chain with company-operated locations. Comparable business model to Cockerham's company-owned convenience store network, though Wawa operates further north and at much greater scale.
• Sheetz: Privately held Mid-Atlantic convenience store chain with company-operated fuel and made-to-order food. Comparable to Cockerham's regional convenience-store-plus-fuel model, though operating further north (Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cockerhamenergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cockerhams4
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milo-c.-cockerham-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cockerham Energy