Pak-A-Sak convenience stores and gas stations in Warsaw are changing their colors after a chainwide move away from Shell gasoline. About 20 of the company’s more than 30 locations in Indiana and Ohio are switching from the red and yellow of Royal Dutch Shell Plc. to Marathon Oil Corp. red, white and blue. Other locations in northern Indiana will carry Phillips 66 gasoline. There are two Pak-A-Saks in Warsaw and one in Pierceton. Rebranding of the stores is expected to be finished by the end of the month. Ron Freeman, president of Pak-A-Sak parent company Jay Petroleum Inc. in Portland, Ind., said the company chose not to renew its contract with Shell at the end of March. The company wanted instead to expand its dealings with Marathon, he said. “We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Marathon, and their offerings, their programs, are more in line with what we want to offer,” he said Wednesday. Marathon is headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, and they’ve devoted more of their attention to the Midwest. He said, “Shell is a Dutch company and their emphasis has been on larger urban markets for the past few years, and that didn’t align with what we want to do,” he said. “So we decided to expand our relationship with Marathon.” He also noted that Pak-A-Sak rewards cards are still being accepted, but Shell credit cards are not. Locally, Shell MasterCards may still be accepted. Jay Petroleum formed the Pak-A-Sak chain in the late 1970s and branded it with Shell gas in 1989, according to the company’s website. Ohio locations were branded shortly after with Marathon. “As far as the company is concerned, Pak-A-Sak is still the same. Just the brand of gas is different,” Freeman remarked.
