Reno's Berry-Hinckley acquires Arizona convenience store chain

When Reno's Berry-Hinckley Industries announced its merger with Cashell Enterprises Inc. last month, Berry-Hinckley's top executive promised that more big news was on the way.

The other shoe dropped last week as the operator of convenience stores, gas stations, car washes and lube shops said it purchased an 11-location chain of convenience stores and gas stations in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Now, Paul Morabito, the chairman and chief executive officer of Berry-Hinckley, says his company is scouting for more acquisitions and expansion possibilities in the Scottsdale area.

That includes petroleum wholesalers as well as retailers, said Morabito. Berry-Hinckley is the largest petroleum wholesaler in Nevada, operating two fuel pipeline terminals along with trucking and warehousing operations.

The privately held company didn't say what it paid for the Scottsdale stores, which are branded as Superpumper locations. But Morabito said the group generates more than $100 million a year in annual sales volume, and the stores average more than 2.5 million gallons in gasoline sales annually.

With the Arizona acquisition as well as the merger with Cashell Enterprises, Berry-Hinckley's annual sales total more than $700 million. The company employs 1,500.

The Arizona stores sell Shell Oil Co. products. In northern Nevada, Berry-Hinckley's Winners Corner convenience stores and gas stations sell Chevron products.

Four of the Superpumper locations also include car washes.

The Arizona stores were founded in 1967 by Michael and Vivian Kapanicas. Kevin Taylor, the stores' vice president of operations, and Mitch Kapanicas, their general manager, have signed long-term employment contracts with Berry-Hinckley.

The Superpumper group has new store locations in development or awaiting approval in Phoenix, Glendale and Scottsdale, Ariz.

Winners Corner, which operates 38 convenience stores as gas stations in northern Nevada, has plans to develop eight more in the region.