Road Ranger
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Travel centers, truck stops, convenience stores |
| Founded | 1984 in Rockford, Illinois, United States |
| Founder | Daniel "Dan" Arnold |
| Headquarters | Schaumburg , United States |
Area served | Midwestern United States |
Key people | Daniel "Dan" Arnold (co-owner, deceased), Sunil Puri (co-owner) |
| Products | Travel centers, truck stops, convenience stores, diesel fuel (Ranger Fuels) |
| Parent | Enex (Empresa Nacional de Energía Enex S.A.) |
| Website | roadranger |
Road Ranger is a chain of travel centers, truck stops, and convenience stores headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, primarily serving the Midwestern region of the United States.
History
The company was established in 1984 in Rockford, Illinois, by Daniel "Dan" Arnold, an alumnus of Northern Illinois University. Arnold launched the inaugural Road Ranger location using $5,000 from his personal savings along with additional financing. In 1990, he sold the business to Phillips Petroleum to focus on ventures in real estate and banking but revived the company in 1994.
In 2008, Road Ranger formed a partnership with Pilot Flying J to promote diesel fuel sales at its truck stop outlets.
Before his passing in 2015, Daniel Arnold co-owned Road Ranger alongside Sunil Puri, the founder of First Midwest Group.
On March 19, 2015, the company divested 42 convenience stores located in Iowa, Illinois, and Kentucky to GPM Investments, redirecting its efforts toward travel centers frequently operated in collaboration with Pilot.
Enex (Empresa Nacional de Energía Enex S.A.), a subsidiary of Quiñenco based in Santiago, announced on August 27, 2018, its intention to acquire Road Ranger for $289 million. This transaction represented one of the largest private company sales in Rockford’s history. The acquisition was finalized on November 30, 2018, with Enex planning to grow the Road Ranger network by three to four new sites annually within the United States.
In early 2019, Road Ranger ended its alliance with Pilot Flying J. Since February 1, 2019, it has been marketing diesel fuel directly to trucking firms and transportation providers under its own brand nationwide.
Top Tier Gasoline
Under its Ranger Fuels brand, Road Ranger supplies Top Tier Detergent Gasoline, although as of 2010 this product was not available at every location.
Locations
Road Ranger operates a total of 53 independent travel centers and convenience stores across Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, and Wisconsin. These establishments host 34 affiliated food franchises such as Subway Restaurants, Wendy's, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Church's Chicken, Chester's International, Burger King, and McDonald's.
Dixie Truck Stop
In 2012, Road Ranger expanded its presence in the truck stop industry by acquiring and renovating the historic Dixie Travel Plaza, one of America’s oldest truck stops since its original opening in 1928.