Sunoco Is Buying Stores at an Unprecedented Rate
In February 2026, Sunoco acquired the convenience retail division of Jernigan Oil Company, adding 56 Duck Thru Food Stores in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia to its growing portfolio. The stores became part of Sunoco Retail, an affiliate of the Dallas-based fuel giant. The Jernigan acquisition followed Sunoco’s purchase of 36 Pops Mart stores in January 2026, which was itself a follow-on to the company’s landmark $9.1 billion acquisition of Parkland Corp. in late 2025, a deal that added more than 3,600 retail sites across North America to Sunoco’s network. As C-Store Dive reported, Sunoco has also outlined a “multi-year path of bolt-on acquisitions totaling at least $500 million annually,” signaling that 2026 is just the beginning of a sustained consolidation strategy.
For the fuel infrastructure construction industry, including certified welding contractors who serve the convenience store and fuel retail markets, this level of acquisition activity has direct and substantial implications. When a single operator acquires dozens of fuel locations in a short period, the renovation, rebranding, and upgrade work that follows is significant.
What Happens After an Acquisition
Fuel stations that change hands do not simply get a new logo and reopen under a new banner. Every acquisition triggers an infrastructure assessment. When a major operator like Sunoco takes over locations from a regional chain, its first priority is understanding the physical condition of each site. What follows is a systematic process of evaluation and improvement that touches the most critical systems in every location.
Fuel canopy structures are evaluated for load capacity, code compliance, and brand standard compatibility. Underground storage tank systems are inspected and may require new connections, updated vent piping, or complete liner replacement. Fuel dispenser islands are often reconfigured to accommodate new equipment and updated site layouts. Signage structures require fabrication and mounting work to carry the acquiring brand’s identity correctly. In many cases, food service areas and interior spaces undergo significant renovation as well, particularly at locations being upgraded to meet modern operational standards.
Every acquisition creates a wave of physical work. Infrastructure does not transfer cleanly from one operator to another. It gets assessed, repaired, upgraded, and in many cases rebuilt. That work requires certified welders at multiple points on every site.
The Carolinas and Virginia: A Region on the Move
The 56 Duck Thru Food Stores acquired from Jernigan Oil are concentrated in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia, two markets where fuel retail infrastructure investment has been active in recent years. Sunoco’s entry into these markets through an established regional chain gives it an immediate footprint, but also a backlog of renovation and upgrade work to complete.
These same markets have seen significant activity from other major operators. Wawa has announced plans to open 80 new stores in North Carolina. Casey’s continues its multi-state expansion. Parker’s Kitchen, one of the fastest-growing convenience chains in the Southeast, is building new locations at a rate of 20 to 25 per year across its core South Carolina and Georgia markets with ambitions to expand further north. The competition for fuel and convenience customers in this region is intensifying, which means operators who have acquired existing locations face real pressure to upgrade them quickly and to a high standard.
Sarlo Certified Welding and the Acquisition Wave
At Sarlo Certified Welding, we have tracked the consolidation of the convenience store and fuel retail industry closely because every major acquisition creates downstream opportunity for certified welding contractors. Renovation projects, rebrandings, equipment upgrades, and code compliance updates all carry welding requirements. We are positioned to support fuel retail operators, general contractors, and equipment suppliers who are working within this wave of M&A activity.
• Fuel canopy structural inspection, repair, and replacement welding
• Underground storage tank connection and vapor recovery system work
• Fuel dispenser island fabrication, mounting, and reconfiguration
• Signage structure fabrication and installation welding for rebranded sites
• Commercial kitchen equipment anchoring and gas line connections for foodservice upgrades
• Code compliance and inspection support for acquired fuel retail locations
Ready to build or upgrade your fuel station infrastructure? Contact Sarlo Certified Welding today at sarlocertifiedwelding.com and let our team bring your project to the finish line with the quality and precision your business depends on.