The Beginning

Back in 1932, a man by the name of Emory T Clark opened his first “Filling Station” in West Allis, Wisconsin. It was called Clark’s Super Gas and it only sold premium gasoline. Unlike most gas station back in the early 30s, Clark did not offer mechanical services at his station. As a matter of fact, they would not even change a tire for customers

Moving Up in the World

By 1943, Clark got involved in the business of refining oil and eventually owned 500 stations throughout the mid-west. They also had locations in Florida and California. That’s quite a leap from a single filling station in Wisconsin!

The Peak

Clark hit it’s peak in the 1970s with over 1,400 stations and two oil refineries. At this time, they were pumping twice the amount of any other gas seller in America. That’s pretty impressive!

Going Downhill

Emory Clark decided to sell his company to Apex in 1981, who eventually ran it into the ground. Apex declared bankruptcy in 1987. This, however, was not the end of Clark

Rebranding Clark

In 1992, a company called Horsham Corp bought out Clark and eventually changed the name to Premcor. They retained ownership of the two refineries and about 1,000 gas stations

Seeing the value in the name “Clark”, Clark Brands LLC was formed to retain the licensing rights. It’s intention was to license the name to independent gas station owners who were willing to pay for a premium brand name.

Today there are over 1,000 gas stations that bare the name Clark throughout the mid-west. These stations offer iconic service and also supply thousands of jobs for employees. Many people have fond memories of this great brand and we encourage readers to write in the comments below to share their stories

To inquire about licensing the Clark brand, please click here