The C-Barn in Fredericktown was the newest one in the line of 8, which have been open for 34 years. The owners said they were ready to retire, and sold it to Midwest Petroleum. Matt Morey, Democrat News
After 34 years of ownership, Jim and Ray Johnson are selling their eight C-Barn stores to Midwest Petroleum.
“We were 50/50 partners on them and we’re both in our 60s now, and after 34 years, we were just ready to retire,” Jim, 65, said. He was on a phone call, after his last sale on Tuesday. “A very long day,” his wife said.
On Monday, Dec. 22, yellow tape could be seen around the Fredericktown C-Barn from 3 a.m. until noon, with corporate members of Midwest Petroleum were in the store.
Jim said there were several choices, but Midwest Petroleum “checked all of their boxes,” and had a good record after being around for three generations. “The owner is a young go-getter, and that company just suited us perfectly.”
Midwest Petroleum, stationed in St. Louis, operates over 60 gas stations in the Missouri and Illinois area such as Phillips 66, ZX, Dottie’s Express and their own store brand. They have been active since 1948, with president James McNutt since 2018.
Jim and Ray’s 100 employees will mostly remain, though two secretaries are leaving.
Jim said Midwest Petroleum has plans to spend “lots of money” to make significant changes to each store. While the logo has not changed yet Jim said it should be sometime soon.
The first C-Barn is on Ste. Genevieve Street in Farmington, off of Karsch Boulevard’s western end. All of them are within one or two counties of St. Francois.
Jim and Ray, who 5 years younger, had a separate set of responsibilities, but made joint decisions. They “co-existed,” Jim said, opening a new store about every 4 or 5 years, as the opportunity arose.
C-Barns, labeled C-1 through C-8 became familiar to motorists from Bloomsdale to the two in Park Hills, and three in Farmington. The newest was in Fredericktown, which opened in 2018 or 2017.
“My brother and I wanted a store in Fredericktown, where the family was from,” Jim said. Their grandpa was in the gas station business, operating one in the 1940s.
Jim said it wasn’t always smooth sailing, sometimes a struggle to keep the buildings profitable. “But we finally broke through and it turned out really good.”
He said through price increases and decreases on the volatile gas market, the margins stayed the same. When it’s high, motorists will conserve, but tankers will pay up.
Jim recalled many stories over the years, like fires, or a thief who tied the ATM to a chain and drove off with it.
He remembered the time a car ran into the C-Barn in Farmington. It happened twice. “Drove right through the doors and right into the middle of the stores.”
“One was an older gentleman, he hit the gas instead of the brake,” Jim said. “That was a Cadillac. The last one, about a year ago, was a lady who was on some kind of medication that messed her up.”
Jim met his wife, Renee, at C-Barn.
He said he saw her a few times at the drive-thru, at his C-1. “I would tell the other girl ‘I got this one,’ and go out and wait on her.”
She normally bought the same thing.
“Coffee girl,” he said. “Our life is coffee.” He chuckled. “Though as much anymore.”