What RKA does

RKA Petroleum is a family-owned refined and renewable fuel distributor headquartered in Romulus, Michigan, operating continuously since 1956. The company distributes gasoline, on-road and off-road diesel, biodiesel blends (B2 through B100), ethanol/E85 products, and Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sourced from major refiners including BP, Shell, and Exxon, serving retail gas stations, commercial fleets, government accounts, transportation and logistics operators, construction contractors, emergency services, and a broad long tail of vertical-specific fuel users across Southeastern Michigan and Northwestern Ohio. Distribution is executed via a proprietary fleet of 30+ trucks, tankwagons, and trailers operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week, with drivers delivering bulk fuel directly into customer tanks, on-site permanent or temporary tanks, or individual equipment units such as tractors and reefers.

The company's core technology asset is the Fuel Management Program (FMP), launched in the early 2000s as the first program of its kind in Michigan. The FMP consists of cellular-connected hardware installed on customer above-ground storage tanks that transmits inventory data wirelessly to RKA's corporate headquarters, where back-office automation determines demand patterns and triggers automatic order replenishment. The program has over 500 enrolled customers and functions as a subscription-based service on top of the underlying fuel-delivery business. Additional service offerings include fleet fueling with barcode scanning, gallons-per-vehicle tracking, and IFTA reporting; emergency fuel response; logistics coordination; tank cleaning; and — added in February 2024 via a strategic partnership with Vesco Oil — Mobil lubricants.

RKA's revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees on fuel gallons delivered and a subscription component for the Fuel Management Program, supplemented by lubricants and ancillary service revenue. The go-to-market is relationship-driven direct sales, with dedicated retail and wholesale/commercial account managers operating locally in Michigan and Ohio. Pricing is commodity-based for fuel products; no public rate sheets are disclosed. The company holds WBENC Women's Business Enterprise certification (since 2012) and API 22241-1 certification for DEF, positioning it favorably for government and corporate diversity-supplier procurement programs. Leadership remains in the Albertie family, with Kyle Albertie as President, Kay Albertie as Owner/Chairman, Molli Brown Dunbar as CFO, and Kerry Rehbine as COO; no external private equity or institutional investment is recorded.

Name

RKA

Legal name

RKA Petroleum

Website

https://rkapetroleum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Short description

RKA Petroleum is a family-owned fuel distributor founded in 1956, delivering gasoline, diesel, biofuels, and DEF across Southeastern Michigan and Northwestern Ohio via a 30+ truck fleet and a proprietary tank-monitoring Fuel Management Program serving 500+ commercial, government, and retail customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Petroleum Distribution & Fuel Management Services

NAICS

Fuel Dealers (45721)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Fuels Wholesaling & Jobber Distribution (EUALAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial & Fleet Fueling (Cardlock, On-Site Tanks, Bulk Delivery) (EUALAIAD), Biofuel Distribution & Fuel Marketing (Wholesale/Retail) (EUAAAHAI)

Keywords

• Petroleum distribution
• Fuel management services
• Fleet fueling solutions
• Biodiesel supply
• Lubricants distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refined Fuel Distribution: Distribution of gasoline, diesel (on-road, off-road, biodiesel), and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to retail, commercial, and government customers. Products sourced from major refiners including BP, Shell, Exxon, and others.
2. Renewable/Biofuel Products: Sale of biodiesel blends (B2, B5, B10, B20, B99, B100), straight ethanol, E85, and ethanol-blended gasoline as alternative fuel options.
3. Fleet Fueling Services: On-site fleet fueling with barcode scanning, gallons-per-vehicle tracking, and IFTA reporting. Services include emergency fuel delivery and 24/7 operations.
4. Lubricants: Through strategic partnership with Vesco Oil, RKA offers Mobil Lubricants for all engine types and sizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RKA Petroleum distributes refined and renewable fuels—including gasoline, diesel (on-road, off-road, and biodiesel blends), DEF, ethanol blends, and lubricants—to retail gas stations, commercial fleets, and government customers across Southeastern Michigan and Northwestern Ohio via its own fleet of 30+ trucks operating 24/7. The company complements fuel distribution with service solutions, headlined by its proprietary Fuel Management Program (FMP), which uses cellular-connected tank monitors to automate inventory tracking and order replenishment for over 500 enrolled customers, along with fleet fueling, emergency fuel, logistics, and tank cleaning services.

Product overview

RKA is a leading distributor of refined and renewable fuel and fuel management solutions operating a fleet of over 30 trucks, tankwagons, and trailers. The company's core offerings center on fuel products (gasoline, diesel in multiple variants including biodiesel blends, and DEF) and a portfolio of service solutions including the Fuel Management Program (FMP) — a first-of-its-kind hardware/software system in Michigan with tank monitoring devices and back-office automation for automatic order replenishment — combined with fleet fueling, emergency fuel, logistics, lubricants (via Vesco Oil/Mobil partnership), and tank cleaning services. RKA delivers bulk fuel directly into customer tanks, provides on-site permanent or temporary fuel tanks, and fuels individual equipment units including tractors and reefers. The products function as an integrated fuel management ecosystem: the FMP provides monitoring and inventory control while the logistics and delivery services ensure continuous fuel supply.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fuel Management Program (FMP) A proprietary hardware and software system consisting of a cellular-connected device installed on above-ground storage tanks that wirelessly transmits inventory data to RKA's corporate headquarters, enabling automated demand-pattern analysis and order replenishment. Over 500 customers are enrolled.
• Fleet Fueling On-site fleet fueling service featuring barcode scanning, gallons-per-vehicle tracking, and IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) reporting for commercial and government fleet customers.
• Emergency Fuel Emergency fuel delivery and monitoring service designed to ensure continuous fuel supply during emergencies for critical operations, emergency services, healthcare, and municipal customers.
• Lubricants (Mobil) Through a strategic partnership with Vesco Oil, RKA offers Mobil Lubricants including high-performance products for all engine types and sizes.
• Logistics Fuel delivery logistics service allowing customers to choose their fuel delivery days and ensuring continuous fuel supply without running out.
• Gasoline Refined gasoline fuel products (including branded BP, ARCO, and Amoco) distributed to retail, commercial, and government customers.
• Diesel (On-road, Off-road, Biodiesel) Diesel fuel products including on-road diesel, off-road diesel, and biodiesel blends (B2, B5, B10, B20, B99, B100).
• Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) High-purity automotive-grade DEF containing 32.5% urea and 67.5% de-ionized water, used as a reductant in selective catalytic reduction systems on 2010+ model diesel vehicles. Certified to API/ISO 22241-1.
• Alternative Fuel Solutions Biodiesel and ethanol products including B2, B5, B10, B20, B99, B100, straight ethanol, E85, and ethanol-blended gasoline for environmentally-conscious fueling needs.
• Tank Cleaning Tank cleaning services for maintaining fuel storage equipment integrity and performance.
• Supply Contracts Fuel supply contracts providing retail, commercial, and government customers with reliable bulk fuel supply agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 companies enrolled in Fuel Management Program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments16 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Vesco OilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Through a strategic partnership with Vesco Oil, RKA now offers Mobil Lubricants for all engine types and sizes. This partnership expands RKA's product offerings beyond traditional fuel distribution into the lubricants market, providing a comprehensive fueling solution for customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mansfield Energy Corp: One of the largest U.S. independent petroleum distributors, supplying gasoline, diesel, lubricants, and DEF to commercial and government customers nationwide. Directly comparable to RKA in business model (wholesale + on-site fueling + fuel management), but with a much larger multi-region footprint.
• Sparks Energy Inc. Midwest-based fuel and lubricant distributor serving commercial, agricultural, and government customers with branded and unbranded fuels. Closely comparable to RKA on product mix, customer verticals, and regional Midwestern footprint.
• Southside Oil & Grease Co. Regional petroleum distributor in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast offering gasoline, diesel, lubricants, and on-site fleet fueling services. Comparable to RKA on commercial/government customer mix, branded wholesale, and fleet services.
• J.A.M. Distributing Company: Multi-state fuel and lubricant jobber distributing BP, Marathon, and other major brands to commercial and retail customers with a focus on government and fleet accounts. Directly comparable to RKA's branded fuel jobber model and WBENC-style institutional focus.
• Palmer Gas / Palmer Energy: Family-owned New England fuel distributor (propane, heating oil, gasoline, diesel) with a similar multi-generational, regional operating model to RKA's. Comparable on product breadth, family governance, and commercial/residential fuel delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Sunoco LP: Large publicly traded master limited partnership distributing motor fuels across 40+ U.S. states to dealers, commercial customers, and unbranded distributors. Overlaps with RKA's wholesale fuel distribution business but at far greater scale and with a much wider portfolio.
• Parkland Corporation: Canadian-headquartered international fuel and convenience retailer/distributor with operations across the Americas, including commercial and wholesale fuel businesses in the U.S. Compares to RKA on the wholesale/commercial fuel distribution model but operates at significantly larger scale.
• World Kinect (World Fuel Services): Global fuel and energy products distributor serving aviation, marine, land, and commercial customers worldwide. Overlaps with RKA on commercial/land fuel distribution and DEF/biodiesel product lines, but at vastly larger scale and geographic breadth.

Regional players

• RaceTrac: Large privately held U.S. convenience and fuel retailer operating 700+ stores across the South and Midwest. While a customer of RKA-style wholesale suppliers rather than a direct peer, it is materially comparable on branded retail fueling in geographies adjacent to RKA's footprint.
• Murphy USA: Public U.S. retailer of gasoline and convenience merchandise operating primarily near Walmart stores across 25+ states. Comparable on branded retail fuel but operates its own retail footprint and supply infrastructure rather than wholesale distribution to dealers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RKAEnergy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqb0bwN_TcnWQaTWR_XCF7g
• Facebookfacebook.com/RKAEnergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rka-energy
• Instagraminstagram.com/rkaenergy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 RKA