Victory acquires stores, accounts from Cloutier Oil

NATCHEZ and RIDGELAND — Ridgeland-based Victory Properties has bought 11 convenience stores and nine dealer accounts of Cloutier Oil in Natchez.

Lawrie Cloutier, owner of Cloutier Oil, tells the Natchez Democrat the sale was completed March 19. Terms were not disclosed.

Cloutier Oil was started Oct. 1, 1958, and originally served commercial businesses that had fuel tanks that needed refilling.

Starting in 1984, the company expanded into convenience stores.

Cloutier said it was involved in the development convenience stores with more than 100 employees. Most of the stores sold petroleum products produced by Shell Oil.

Cloutier Oil weathered the oil allocations of the 1970s, saw the business transition from mechanical and manual to digital distribution and joined in the convenience store change from full-service to self-service.

“What we found is that we were much better at the convenience business than the consumer business,” Cloutier said. “We wouldn’t have made it this long if we hadn’t changed with the times.”

Victory Properties, also a Shell distributor, will take over convenience store operations in Natchez, Woodville, Meridian, Forest, Port Gibson, Fayette and Bude in Mississippi and Vidalia, Jonesville and Ferriday in Louisiana.

“I am thankful I was able to sell to fellow Shell Oil Company distributors to be able to keep the Shell brand in southwest Mississippi,” Cloutier said.