In August 1938, Mrs. Carrie M. Myers used a large portion of her life savings to purchase the entire capital stock of the very young Keiser Oil Company. She acquired two service stations – one in Seymour, Indiana, and the other in Columbus, Indiana – along with an old tank truck. Both service stations were new and Ms. Myers was new to the oil business, but she arrived with determination and a will to succeed. The company was renamed and branded “Kocolene” in 1943 – “Koco,” the prefix from Keiser Oil Company, and “lene,” because it was a gasoline/kerosene business. From this beginning, Kocolene has grown to one of the most respected independent oil companies in the Midwest. Expanding their operation over the years to 99 locations in nine states, sales grew to over $150,000,000 annually, while nearly 600 people became part of the Kocolene team. What started with one woman’s dream, two stations and one old tanker truck had now become nearly 100 locations staffed by local managers, supervised by regional field managers, and supported by a home office in Seymour, Indiana.
Today, the Kocolene family of businesses owns several operating entities, including: Kocolene Investments, Smokers Host Discount Tobacco, and Ranger3PL.
In October of 2009, Kocolene Development Corporation became an ESOP company, allowing for employee ownership and profit-sharing in the company. Still true to the close-knit family values of honest, hard work, communication and the teamwork that made the company what it is today, Kocolene prides itself that after 80 years in business, they continue to become a better organization by attempting to learn and grow as a company every day.
