ORourke aims to become even more of a strategic partner for Shell than it already is, Khan said, being part of their go-to market strategy, not just in a couple locations, but in a broader geographic footprint.

He said ORourke is looking at its ability to grow in the East Texas market. We really like the East Texas market because of that – we really like the footprint, the position that Penco gives us, to grow our business. The company said it plans to continue seeking expansion opportunities throughout Texas and along the Gulf Coast with leading distributors and businesses.

Khan said the two businesses have similar operating philosophies and internal cultures. First and foremost, we looked at the people at Penco and thats what we loved about the opportunity, and what we look for really ahead of almost anything else, Khan said. Central to our strategy to grow either organically or through acquisitions is to invest in people and get the best people that we can in this industry or in any industry. We invest a lot of money in human capital.

Family-owned and operated since 1932, ORourke Petroleum distributes lubricants, fuels and select environmental services. In Texas, ORourke offers bulk and packaged products from its distribution facilities in Houston, Dallas and Tyler, as well as satellite locations in San Antonio and Victoria.

Tyler, Texas-based Penco has been a family-owned and operated distributor of lubricant products and services since 1963. Its history dates back to 1933, when it opened as a Standard of Ohio oil and gas distributor. Penco today has 15 employees and offers Pennzoil, Quaker State, Castrol and Shell products as well as a variety of related lubricant services.