Photo: Hess gives way to Speedway

New signs are going up today on the Hess station at the corner of Oak and Main streets, Batavia.

The gas station and convenience store will now be known as Speedway.

The changeover is part of a massive rebranding effort at all Hess locations. The Hess chain of 1,250 convenience stores and gas stations was purchased by Marathon Petroleum Corp. for $2.82 billion a year ago and Speedway is the current Marathon brand for its stores.

From a trade publication:

“Speedway continues to make excellent progress transitioning its new retail locations to the Speedway brand,” he said (Gary R. Heminger, CEO and president of MPC). “As of [April 30], we have converted more than 400 stores, including 260 completed during the first quarter.

“This rapid pace of store conversions contributes to our confidence that we will achieve the synergies and marketing enhancements we expect as we integrate this business. … I'm very pleased with the progress that they're making, both in getting the stores converted, and secondly, the inside sales results bump that we're starting to see.”

Describing the process, Heminger said, “The comprehensive transition for each store not only includes the changing of signs and canopies, but it's a complete system changeover, which includes the backoffice, point-of-sale and inventory control systems, as well as integration of the Speedy Rewards Loyalty Program.”