Area customers staying loyal to local BP station operators

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By Thomas Gnau and Steve Bennish
Staff Writers Updated 7:59 AM Thursday, June 10, 2010

YELLOW SPRINGS — The protests were threatened but haven’t materialized yet.

At the Village British Petroleum station in the heart of the activist-heavy town of Yellow Springs, owner Jane Nipper stands behind the counter and says she understands the feelings of those angry about the Gulf oil spill disaster.

The station is owned by the Nipper family, Jane Nipper said, and contracts with the oil giant for fuel. She said she’s just as upset as anyone about the spill.

A website dedicated to Yellow Springs had a notice two weeks ago that said there would be a protest at the station, but Nipper said the protest didn’t happen. A friend posted a response on the site pointing out that the station was owned by a local.

The Nippers have owned the station five years, Nipper said. “Most of our customers are dedicated, and they don’t blame us,” she said.

In Centerville, Joe Turner sells BP gas at his station at 140 N. Main St. but has not seen any decrease in business because of the oil spill.

“I guess I was a little nervous when I saw something going on downtwon,” Turner said, referring to a recent protest near a BP station off Main and Washington streets. But it has been business as usual. One woman, Turner said, even “came out of her way to get gas here because she wasn’t going to go along with the boycott on Facebook.”

Consumers should understand that BP stations in Ohio aren’t owned by BP and have nothing to do with the spill, Turner said. Turner’s business and other independently owned Ohio BP retailers could buy gas from other producers, but Turner just happens to have a supply contract with BP, he said. Tarring independent BP retailers for BP’s mistakes is unfair, he contends.

Still, Turner is thinking about getting out of the business of selling gasoline — not because of the spill, but because it isn’t profitable for him. There’s more money to be made in repairing cars and maintaining relationships with customers, he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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