Coulson Oil Co.

North Little Rock’s Coulson Oil Co. has operated from its location on Pike Avenue for 43 years. It started small, but now covers the whole state, supplying fuel to convenience stores and gas stations.

“We have four core values that we use to guide us in everything we do,” said Lance West, Coulson’s CFO, “integrity, innovation, safety and service.”

West said Coulson had always strived to be on the cutting edge of the gasoline industry. In Arkansas, West said, “We had the first self-service gas and the first E85 [ethanol] locations. We had the first convenience stores combined with fast-food restaurants 10 or 15 years ago.”

The company was also a pioneer in truck stops and car washes.

Coulson employees, West said, enjoy a family atmosphere. “It sounds like a cliché,” he said. “But our employees who come to work for us stay a long time.” The average length of service at Coulson, he said, is about a decade.

About 50 employees work at the Pike Avenue office and another 20 to 25 drive the Coulson trucks. The company sells fuel to some 230 outlets around the state.

Coulson mainly supplies gasoline for Shell, West said, and Coulson drivers recently received a safety award from the company.

Coulson works with the community through programs like the Special Olympics, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and CARTI.

“We’ve had lots of police endeavors,” said President and CEO David Zakrzewski, referring to outreach efforts for local officers.

Zakrzewski said Coulson Oil is eager to expand back into retail operations. To that end, the company purchased two large convenience stores in the Texarkana area on Feb. 1.

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