Lakereach Funding Group helps Williamsport, Pennsylvania gas station and convenience store owners request funding for dispensers, remodels, inventory and station purchases. Gasoline stations numbered 46 employer establishments in Lycoming County, PA in 2023 (County Business Patterns); partners review each request.
At a glance
- Gasoline stations, Lycoming County, PA
46 employers, 541 employees (CBP 2023)
- Gasoline stations with convenience stores, Lycoming County, PA
40 of the 46 (CBP 2023)
- Gas stations with a ZIP 17701 address
16 (ZBP 2023)
Lycoming County, PA Fuel Retailers in Census Counts: 46 Stations, 40 With Stores
Gasoline stations (NAICS 4471) numbered 46 employer establishments in Lycoming County, PA in 2023, with 541 paid employees and $13.5 million in annual payroll (County Business Patterns). Of the 46, 40 were gasoline stations with convenience stores (447110), and only 8 had fewer than five employees. Sixteen had a ZIP 17701 address.
Convenience stores without fuel are counted under grocery stores, where they numbered 11 employer establishments in the county.
Commercial Loan for Gas Station, With Fuel Dispensers as the Williamsport, PA Example
Fuel dispensers are the station's main equipment, and replacing them often comes with card-reader and payment upgrades at the pump. Each dispenser lasts years and fits equipment financing, with the dispensers as security.
Underground tanks, lines and environmental compliance work are a separate and specialized area; a partner may want environmental reports before financing that work.
Payment upgrades at the pump, such as new card readers, are often required by card networks on their own timelines. When dispensers are replaced, the payment hardware is usually part of the same quote, and it can be financed with the dispensers.
Business Loan for Convenience Store Around Williamsport, PA: Station Purchases Examples
A convenience store purchase usually includes the store's equipment, its inventory and often the fuel side and the real estate. A term loan sized to the store's cash flow is the usual route, with a down payment and sometimes a seller note.
A buyer gathers the seller's tax returns, fuel and inside-sales figures by month, the fuel supply agreement and its terms, and the environmental history of the site.
A buyer taking over a branded station should read the fuel supply agreement closely. Branding, minimum purchase volumes and the remaining term all shape the station's cash flow, and a partner will read them too.
Business Loans for Gas Stations Around Williamsport, PA: Fuel Inventory Examples
Fuel inventory is bought by the load and sold by the gallon. A station pays its jobber or supplier on short terms while the fuel sells over days. A line of credit or inventory financing carries that gap, especially when prices rise and each load costs more.
Store inventory, such as beverages, snacks and tobacco, works the same way on a smaller scale. Partners read the station's sales by category and the supplier terms.
Fuel prices change the size of the gap. When the cost of a load rises, the same number of gallons ties up more cash until it sells, so a line sized for last year's prices may fall short this year.
Financing a Gas Station Purchase: Store Remodels and Fuel Dispensers in Williamsport, PA
Financing a station purchase that includes a store remodel means two pieces: the purchase on a term loan and the remodel on a separate term loan or equipment financing for the coolers and counters. Some partners combine them.
In Williamsport, PA, a remodel goes through the Bureau of Codes, and any food service changes through the Department of Agriculture's retail food process; see the retail food facility license guide.
Gas Station Financing for Lycoming County, PA Gas Station Owners
Gas station financing for an operating owner covers more than the forecourt: walk-in coolers, a food service counter, car wash equipment, security cameras and point-of-sale systems are all common requests. Each is equipment, financed over its working life.
Stations with steady card sales may be offered a merchant cash advance, which is not a loan and is collected from card receipts. Price it against a line of credit first.
A car wash added to a station is a project of its own: equipment, a building or bay, water and drainage work, and permits. It fits equipment financing for the wash system and a term loan for the construction.
How to Buy a Gas Station Business? What Lycoming County, PA Fuel Retailers Weigh First
Before buying a gas station business, a buyer weighs a few things a partner will read too:
- Fuel volume and inside-store sales by month for at least two years.
- The fuel supply agreement: its length, its terms and whether it transfers.
- The environmental record of the tanks and the site.
- Whether the real estate is included or leased.
- The condition and age of the dispensers, tanks and store equipment.
Illustration only, invented figures: replacing 4 dispensers at $24,000 each, $96,000 by our arithmetic, financed over 84 months at an invented annual rate of 9.5%, carries a payment of $1,569.02 a month. The guide to buying a business in Pennsylvania covers the purchase side.
Also on lakereachfundinggroup.com: funding notes by trade, ZIP 17701 employer counts, working capital loans and equipment loans and leases.
By Lakereach Funding Group · Updated
