Couch Oil company

What Couch Oil company does

Couch Oil Company (legal entity: Couch Oil Company of Durham, Inc.) is a family-owned and privately held regional fuel distributor founded in 1949 by Carlton Couch in Durham, North Carolina, and currently led by his son Steve Couch as President and Owner. The company delivers residential propane gas and heating oil through automatic-fill subscription plans and on-call ordering, and supplies commercial customers with on-road and off-road diesel, gasoline, commercial propane, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), and a full line of lubricants under the 76 Lubricants (Phillips 66) and Valvoline brands. Supporting its fuel distribution core, Couch Oil sells and installs on-site commercial fuel storage tanks (500 to 2,000 gallon capacities) equipped with FastFuels wireless tank monitoring, and operates a fuel quality assurance program including fuel polishing, debris and water removal, and ASTM/NFPA-certified lab testing.

Couch Oil's business model combines recurring residential fuel delivery, transaction-based commercial fuel sales with Net 30 credit terms, hardware/installation revenue from tank and equipment sales, and retail revenue from three company-owned convenience stores in the Durham area. Diesel fuel is differentiated by the proprietary Diesel-Mate Clear Premium 2000 fuel conditioner added to every gallon, which the company cites as boosting cetane by up to 15% and improving mileage by approximately 7.5%. Customer segments include residential homeowners (particularly in rural areas without natural gas access), commercial accounts (construction firms, fleet operators, manufacturing plants, automotive repair shops, dealerships, convenience stores), and builder/HVAC contractor partners for new-construction propane installations.

The company operates from three physical offices in Durham and Apex, serves 30+ communities across 20+ North Carolina counties in the Triangle area, and employs 70+ staff as of 2024. Recent strategic actions include the 2024 acquisition of Hopkins Oil Company (expanding into eastern Wake County), the 2023 launch of the education-focused Couch Oil Cares 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a Durham Bulls scholarship partnership, and the opening of Couch & Co. Fireplace & Patio as a retail sub-brand for hearth and outdoor living products. The company celebrated its 75th anniversary in October 2024 with a $75,000 donation match campaign. No external institutional investors, parent company, or public market presence is identified.

Name

Couch Oil company

Legal name

Couch Oil Company of Durham, Inc.

Website

https://couchoilcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Couch Oil Company is a family-owned regional fuel distributor founded in 1949, serving residential and commercial customers across 20+ North Carolina counties with propane, heating oil, diesel, gasoline, DEF, lubricants, fuel tanks, and tank monitoring. The company also operates three convenience stores and Couch & Co. Fireplace & Patio retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fuel Distribution Services

NAICS

Fuel Dealers (457210), Fuel Dealers (4572), Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (45711)

akta.pro primary industry

Propane (LP) Gas Line Installation & Conversion (HSAOAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Convenience Retail & Foodservice at Forecourts (C-Store/QSR) (EUALAIAE)

Keywords

• Fuel distribution services
• Propane delivery
• Heating oil supply
• Commercial diesel fuel
• Lubricants and DEF

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Residential Fuel Sales: One-time and recurring sales of propane gas and heating oil to residential customers. Includes automatic fill delivery plans and will-call ordering. Revenue generated from fuel delivery fees and product markup.
2. Commercial Fuel Products: Diesel (on-road and off-road), gasoline, and propane sales to commercial accounts. Includes transport and tank wagon delivery, construction site tank/pump packages, and volume-based pricing with flexible contract options.
3. Lubricants and Specialty Products: Sale of 76 Lubricants (Phillips 66) including diesel motor oil, hydraulic oils, greases, gear oils. Also offers Valvoline products. Provides bulk oil tank and lube equipment installation.
4. Commercial Propane: Commercial propane tank installation, refills, and automatic fill services for industrial and commercial applications.
5. Tank and Hardware Sales: Sale and installation of commercial fuel tanks (500, 1000, 1500, 2000 gallon sizes) with pump packages and wireless monitoring. Residential propane tank sales.
6. Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF): DEF supply in multiple packaging formats (2.5 gallon jugs, 55 gallon drums, 330 gallon bulk totes). Includes tote and pump equipment rental with automatic fill scheduling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Couch Oil Company delivers residential propane and heating oil to homeowners and provides commercial diesel, gasoline, propane, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), and on-site fuel storage solutions to businesses across North Carolina's Triangle area. The company also sells and installs commercial fuel tanks with wireless monitoring, offers fuel quality assurance and polishing services, and operates convenience stores for retail gasoline.

Product overview

Couch Oil Company is a family-owned energy provider founded in 1949, offering a comprehensive suite of residential and commercial fuel products and services across the Triangle area of North Carolina. The company's core residential offerings include propane (LP) gas and heating oil delivery, while commercial offerings span on-road/off-road diesel, gasoline, commercial propane, diesel exhaust fluid, and lubricants (76 Lubricants and Valvoline brands). Supporting products include fuel additives/conditioners, fuel quality assurance/tank polishing services, and commercial onsite fuel tanks with wireless monitoring technology. The company also operates Couch & Co. Fireplace & Patio as a retail sub-brand and maintains community involvement through Couch Oil Cares nonprofit. The portfolio is delivered through multiple service channels including automatic fill plans, will-call delivery, and a customer portal for account management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Couch & Co. Premium hearth and outdoor living solutions retail store specializing in fireplaces and patio products
• Couch Oil Cares

Products and services

• Residential Propane

Quantifiable outcome

• Propane furnaces last 5-10 years longer than electric counterparts, operating over 20 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Durham Bulls Baseball ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-standing partnership for Couch Oil Cares Scholarship Program. Six local high school seniors awarded $2,000 college scholarships annually at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Partnership since 2015 with annual scholarship night during Bulls games.
• Durham Rescue MissionminorOthersCommunity nonprofit supported through Couch Oil Cares program. Part of company's community investment initiatives.
• TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers)minorOthersCommunity nonprofit supported through Couch Oil Cares program.
• Ronald McDonald HouseminorOthersCommunity nonprofit supported through Couch Oil Cares program.
• Jobs for LifeminorOthersWorkforce development nonprofit supported through Couch Oil Cares program.
• Masonic Children's Home in OxfordminorOthersChildren's home supported through Couch Oil Cares program.
• Emily K CenterminorOthersEducation-focused nonprofit supported through Couch Oil Cares program.
• Duke Children's Hospital & Health CenterminorOthersHealthcare nonprofit supported through Couch Oil Cares program.
• OCIMminorOthersLocal nonprofit organization supported through Couch Oil Cares.
• Hopkins Oil CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition completed, expanding geographic service area into eastern Wake County including Garner, Knightdale, Clayton, Rolesville, Smithfield, and Zebulon. Hopkins Oil served the Triangle for over 70 years with similar business philosophy.
• National Propane Gas AssociationminorOthersProfessional association membership for propane industry best practices and advocacy.
• North Carolina Propane Gas AssociationminorOthersState-level propane industry association membership.
• Home Builders of Orange/WakeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade association membership connecting with home builders for new construction propane installations.
• Pure Oil CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing affiliation since Carlton Couch began operating Pure Oil Company's plant on Hillsborough Road. Pure Oil co-op member providing fuel sourcing and brand association.
• 76 Lubricants (Phillips 66)coreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive lubricant partnership since 1957. Offers 76 Guardol ECT Diesel Motor Oil (API-CJ-4), 76 Super Motor Oil, hydraulic oils, greases, and gear oils. Full line of package sizes from quarts to bulk.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Suburban Propane Partners: Public propane, fuel oil, and refined fuels distributor (~$1.5B revenue) serving residential and commercial customers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Closest regional adjacency to Couch Oil's residential heating oil and propane business in the Carolinas.
• AmeriGas: Largest U.S. retail propane distributor (public, ~$2.5B+ revenue) serving residential and commercial customers nationwide. Directly comparable to Couch Oil's residential propane and commercial propane delivery business, though AmeriGas operates at national scale versus Couch Oil's regional Triangle-area footprint.
• Ferrellgas: Public propane distributor (~$2B revenue) with residential and commercial delivery across all 50 states. Comparable to Couch Oil's propane auto-fill delivery model and commercial propane tank installation, though at vastly greater scale.
• Pilot Flying J: Berkshire Hathaway-owned travel center and fuel retailer (>$30B revenue) with 900+ locations across North America. Comparable to Couch Oil in commercial diesel and gasoline distribution, plus convenience retail, though at national scale and focused on highway travel centers.
• Couche-Tard (Circle K): Canadian multinational and parent of Circle K, one of the largest independent convenience store and fuel retailers globally (~$70B revenue). Comparable to Couch Oil's three convenience stores and commercial gasoline supply, though at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Wawa: Privately held regional convenience store and fuel retailer operating in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with 1,000+ locations. Recently began expanding into North Carolina, increasingly overlapping with Couch Oil's Triangle-area convenience store footprint.
• Sheetz: Privately held regional convenience store and fuel retailer operating in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with 700+ stores. Comparable to Couch Oil's c-store and fuel retail offering, though at greater scale and focused on a different but adjacent geography.
• RaceTrac: Privately held regional convenience store and fuel retailer operating in the Southeast and Texas, with 700+ stores. Comparable to Couch Oil's three convenience stores, though RaceTrac operates at much larger regional scale and is a fuel buyer at national scale.

Direct peers

• Quarles Petroleum: Privately held regional fuel delivery company serving Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas with on-road diesel, off-road diesel, gasoline, propane, and lubricants. Closest direct peer to Couch Oil by business model, product mix, and Mid-Atlantic/Southeast regional footprint.
• Hicksgas: Privately held regional propane retailer headquartered in Illinois with operations across the Midwest and Southeast. Comparable to Couch Oil's residential and commercial propane delivery model, including auto-fill programs and tank installation, at a similar mid-sized regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/couchoilcompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/couch-oil-company-of-durham

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Couch Oil company