SuperAmerica

SuperAmerica

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Convenience stores, Fuel stations
Founded	January 1, 1960 (1960-01-01)
Headquarters	Woodbury, Minnesota , United States
Area served	Upper Midwest, United States
Owner	Marathon Petroleum (last owner)

SuperAmerica was a network of fuel stations and convenience outlets primarily situated in the Upper Midwest region, headquartered in Woodbury, Minnesota. Owned by Marathon Petroleum, the brand launched its initial convenience store during the 1960s. At its peak, SuperAmerica operated 278 stores, with 271 located in Minnesota, 11 in Wisconsin, and 2 in South Dakota.

History

The inception of SuperAmerica convenience stores dates back to 1960 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Initially managed by Northwestern Refining based in St. Paul Park, Minnesota, the chain concentrated its operations mainly in Minnesota but also maintained several sites across western Wisconsin and eastern South Dakota. The company previously owned locations in Florida, which it divested to Shell Oil in 1993.

During the 1970s, Ashland Petroleum acquired Northwestern Refining along with the SuperAmerica brand. Ashland operated full-service stations under its own name and, following legalization of self-service fueling, introduced brands such as "Solo," "Save Mart," "Save More," and "Rich." Over time, Ashland transitioned most of its outlets within its core market to the SuperAmerica banner while exiting Florida. A limited number of stations continued under alternative Ashland brands to preserve trademark rights.Template:Fix/category

In April 1995, SuperAmerica launched a co-branded Visa credit card through National City Corp., offering customers a 3% rebate on purchases made at SuperAmerica locations.

The year 1997 saw Marathon and Ashland Petroleum merge their refining, marketing, and transportation divisions into a joint venture called Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC (MAP), with Marathon holding a 62% stake and Ashland owning 38%. This consolidation combined Ashland's SuperAmerica operations with Marathon's Emro Marketing Company under Speedway SuperAmerica LLC, a fully owned MAP subsidiary. Stores outside the Upper Midwest were rebranded as Speedway; however, Speedway's presence in Western Pennsylvania was eventually withdrawn when Marathon sold those outlets—including some in the Greater Pittsburgh area—to independent operators and at least one to local chain GetGo.Template:Fix/category

File:SuperAmerica Gas Station Saint Paul, MN.jpg

SuperAmerica gas station located in Saint Paul, Minnesota (2017)

Marathon acquired full ownership by buying out Ashland's share in 2004. Subsequently, in February 2011, Marathon divested its SuperAmerica stores along with the St. Paul Park refinery to Northern Tier Energy—a newly established entity backed by private equity firms ACON Investments and TPG Capital. Northern Tier Energy went public in 2012. In 2013, Western Refining—a subsidiary of Marathon—acquired a controlling interest in Northern Tier Energy.

In 2015, workers staged a demonstration at SuperAmerica’s corporate offices in Woodbury, Minnesota, advocating for improved wages and more predictable scheduling practices.

Following Northern Tier Energy’s acquisition during the early 2010s, SuperAmerica began to lag behind competitors. Customers noted deteriorating conditions such as corroded canopies, ceiling water damage, damaged tile flooring, and out-of-service soda dispensers Template:Fix/category. Meanwhile, rival chains like Holiday Stationstores, especially after being acquired by Circle K parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard, invested heavily in their locations. The entry of competitors such as Kwik Trip and Casey's further challenged SuperAmerica’s market position Template:Fix/category. Holiday was reportedly generating double the revenue per store compared to SuperAmerica. Additionally, SuperAmerica did not expand its food service offerings as aggressively as its competitors throughout the decade Template:Fix/category.

In May 2018, after Marathon reacquired SuperAmerica, the chain was rebranded as Speedway. Marathon later sold Speedway to 7-Eleven in 2021. Since some former SuperAmerica sites had originally been operated by 7-Eleven, these locations effectively returned to their original brand.

Currently, one location retains the SuperAmerica branding in Lexington, Kentucky. It is believed that this is maintained solely to prevent trademark expiration—similar to how Chevron Corporation continues using the Standard Oil name on select stations—as this store’s signage displays the SuperAmerica logo on price boards, canopy, and building exterior; however, operationally it functions as a Speedway including fuel pumps.

Rewards programs

SuperAmerica implemented a customer loyalty initiative known as "My SA Rewards." Participants could accumulate points that were redeemable for discounts on fuel purchases or other in-store items. This program provided a savings of three cents per gallon on gasoline. Between 2011 and 2016, SuperAmerica allowed the use of competitor gas coupons at its locations. Additionally, the company introduced a proprietary credit card, developed in collaboration with First Bankcard, which offered cardholders a five-cent per gallon reduction on fuel prices.

External links

• Official website (Archive)