Wilmoth family leases out Travel America operation

By: 
Steve Chapman

A “Gulf” sign is prominently hung on the canopy at Ozarks Travel Center after a pump update from Phillips 66 to Gulf, part of the lease change over. (Photo by Ryan Squibb)

The Mount Vernon Ozarks Travel Center in Mt. Vernon and the Travel America truck stop in Strafford, while still owned by Wilmoth Companies, are currently under new management for the time being. Mt. Vernon-based Wilmoth Companies recently leased the truck stops out to the largest Travel Centers of America franchise in the nation, LV Petroleum, of Las Vegas, Nev.
LV Petroleum took over operations at both locations on Tuesday, Jan. 14, the day the lease went into effect, and will continue to operate the truck stops through Dec. 31, 2030; LV Petroleum will then have the option to renew the lease.
Brent Wilmoth, president of Wilmoth Companies, said the move will be mutually beneficial for both Wilmoth Companies and LV Petroleum.
“It’s going to allow LV Petroleum to continue to grow their Travel Centers of America franchise location,” he said, “and it’s going to allow us to be able again to focus on other areas that we can potentially develop and move forward with on our side.”
Wilmoth said that customers at the travel center should see little difference in the operations there.
“We really haven’t seen a lot of changes; it’s been business as usual, basically,” he said. “They’re going to continue on with business as usual, and we have a strategic partnership with them. Once we signed these leases, we (created) a partnership and alliance with LV to assist (them) in any way possible to help them continue on the same high level of service that we’ve tried to provide to America’s highway heroes, the drivers.”
While LV Petroleum operates both TA truck stops, Wilmoth said his family would continue to operate the original Travel America truck stop location in Mt. Vernon, located on the Loop, under a different name.
“We’re going to continue to operate this, but it’s going to be operated as a location called 46 Travel Center,” he said. “(It’s) going to be an independent travel center.”
For the time being, Wilmoth said, he and his family plan to keep their other business plans under wraps.
“At the present time, we don’t really want to state anything,” he said, “but we have other opportunities potentially available that we’re going to do. So, that’s going to be our main focus; trying to expand our operations into a little different direction than we’re (did) with the retail Travel Center locations.”
Wilmoth also noted that the Mt. Vernon location was recently named as one of the highest-rated truck stops in the nation.
“Ozark’s Travel Center TA location (in) Mt. Vernon was just listed as one of the top 15 (truck stop) locations in America, so it’s something good for Mt. Vernon.”
One change that has come to the Mt. Vernon truck stop is the gas supplier. LV Petroleum switched suppliers from Phillips 66 to Gulf when they took over the Ozark Travel Center, a move that Wilmoth said is consistent with many of their other TA locations.
“They just made the decision that they wanted to change their branding options,” he said. “And they are one of the larger Gulf jobbers in the US and decided to switch and rebrand it to Gulf. So, that was a decision that was made by LV Petroleum.”
Wilmoth added that Phillips 66 would continue to be the gas supplier at their original truck stop.
“We have retained the Conoco Phillips brand at the old truck stop,” he said.

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Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

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