Editing ARCO (section)

==ARCO service station brand==
Currently, the brand name ARCO is being used by [[Marathon Petroleum]] as a brand of gasoline service stations in the United States and Mexico. In Northern California, Oregon, and Washington states, the ARCO brand is licensed for exclusive use to BP for the sale of gasoline in those areas.

Any independent station can adopt the ARCO brand in any territory that is covered by the Marathon Petroleum distribution network outside the BP territories of the northwest.

It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arco.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=16002899&contentId=7022959 |title=Official About ARCO Page |publisher=ARCO |access-date=2011-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707161145/http://www.arco.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=16002899&contentId=7022959 |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and recently ({{as of|2017|lc=y}}) five gas stations in northwestern Mexico.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.andeavor.com/about/news-andeavor-marks-first-arco-station-in-mexico-with-grand-opening-celebration/ |title=Andeavor Marks First ARCO® Station in Mexico with Grand Opening Celebration |publisher=Andeavor |access-date=12 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.onexpo.com.mx/NOTICIAS/tiene-arco-5-gasolineras-en-mexico/ |title=Tiene Arco 5 gasolineras en México |publisher=Organización Nacional de Expendedores de Petróleo (Mexico) |access-date=12 November 2017}}</ref>

===History===
[[File:Arcostation, LA.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An ARCO filling station off [[Slauson Avenue]] in [[Los Angeles, California]] circa (2005)]]

After the Atlantic Richfield Company acquired Sinclair Oil in 1969, Atlantic Richfield decided to merge their three separate service brands into one and call it ARCO. $60 million was spent in the rebranding effort.<ref name="lat-1971apr11">{{cite news |title=What's in a Name? $60 Million for Arco: Atlantic Richfield Re-Signing Represents Biggest Corporate Face-Lift Atlantic Richfield's $60 Million Face-Lift One of History's Biggest |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=April 11, 1971 |page=k1 |last=Rosenblatt |first=Robert A. |id={{ProQuest|156676561}} |quote=Arco was chosen early in the company's marketing name. It had been used for years in internal correspondence at the old Atlantic Refining Co.}}</ref>

Over the course of 2004 and 2005, ARCO signs were replaced with signs that still had the ARCO spark,{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}} but BP's [[Helios]] (BP's new white, yellow, and green "sunburst" mark named after the Greek Sun god, replacing the old British Petroleum shield mark)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.signresource.net/news/bp_helios.htm |title=SignResource Delivers Its 30,000th BP Helios |work=SignResource |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501064439/http://www.signresource.net/news/bp_helios.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2021|reason=No mention of old British Petroleum shield mark nor replacement of ARCO signs}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caseplace.org/cases/cases_show.htm?doc_id=291859 |title=Case Studies - BP and Corporate Greenwash |publisher=CasePlace.org |access-date=2013-02-18 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523050019/http://www.caseplace.org/cases/cases_show.htm?doc_id=291859 |archive-date=2007-05-23}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2021|reason=No mention of old British Petroleum shield mark nor replacement of ARCO signs}} is also located on the sign. A new tagline "ARCO—part of BP" also appeared on some signs and advertisements. ARCO was known for sponsoring the [[ARCO Arena]] (now [[Sleep Train Arena]]) in [[Sacramento, California]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/kings/news/arco_arena_naming_rights_ext.html |title=Maloof Sports & Entertainment Announces Extension to Naming Rights Agreement for ARCO Arena |date=March 19, 2007 |work=[[National Basketball Association]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724222406/http://www.nba.com/kings/news/arco_arena_naming_rights_ext.html |archive-date=2009-07-24 }}</ref> with a license fee of $750,000/year through 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://people.uleth.ca/~rockerbie/SportsText.pdf |title=The Economics of Professional Sports |first=Duane W. |last=Rockerbie |date=September 2009 |page=137 |access-date=2011-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716093538/http://people.uleth.ca/~rockerbie/SportsText.pdf |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On August 13, 2012, it was announced<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-carson-refinery-20120813,0,3709153.story |work=Los Angeles Times |title=BP sells Carson refinery, Arco retail to Tesoro |date=13 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825110316/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-carson-refinery-20120813%2C0%2C3709153.story |archive-date=25 August 2012 }}</ref> that [[Tesoro Corporation|Tesoro]] would purchase ARCO and its refinery for $2.5 billion.  The deal came under fire because of increasing fuel prices. Many activists urged state and federal regulators to block the sale because of concerns that it would reduce competition and could lead to higher fuel prices at ARCO stations (ARCO stations make up more than half of all stations with the lowest fuel prices in California).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-oct-09-la-fi-arco-tesoro-20121010-story.html |title=Tesoro plan to buy Arco gets more scrutiny amid gas-price surge |date=October 9, 2012 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Ronald D. |last=White |access-date=December 8, 2012}}</ref> On June 3, 2013,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.euro-petrole.com/tesoro-corporation-closes-the-purchase-of-bp-s-southern-california-refining-and-marketing-business-n-i-7731 |title=Tesoro Corporation Closes the Purchase of BP's Southern California Refining and Marketing Business |date=June 3, 2013 |work=EuroPétrole}}</ref> BP sold ARCO and the Carson Refinery to Tesoro for $2.5 billion. BP sold its Southern California terminals (Vinvale, Colton, San Diego, Hathaway, and Hynes) to Tesoro Logistics LP, including the Carson Storage Facility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BP completes sale of Carson refinery and southwest US retail assets to Tesoro |url=https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/bp-completes-sale-of-carson-refinery-and-southwest-u-s-retail-a.html}}</ref> BP sold the ampm brand to Tesoro for Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. BP exclusively licensed the ARCO rights from Tesoro for Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

ARCO is known for its low-priced gasoline compared to other national brands, mainly because of an early 1980s business decision to emphasize cost cutting (cash/debit-only policy) and alternative sources of income (ampm). ARCO is headquartered in [[La Palma, California]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_fqk2c4 |title=B P West Coast Products LLC Company Profile |publisher=Manta.com |access-date=2011-07-07 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110928142616/http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_fqk2c4 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.html |title=Atlantic Richfield Company Inc Company Profile |publisher=D&B Hoovers |access-date=2019-05-25}}</ref>

Tesoro was renamed Andeavor in 2017, and shortly afterwards introduced the ARCO brand for the first time in Mexico by the opening of ARCO branded stations in [[Tijuana]].<ref name="globenewswire-2017aug29">{{cite press release |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/08/29/1101940/0/en/Andeavor-Opens-First-ARCO-Station-in-Mexico.html |title=Andeavor Opens First ARCO Station in Mexico |work=[[GlobeNewswire]] |date=August 29, 2017 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref><ref name="sabj-2017aug24">{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2017/08/24/tijuana-first-to-sell-andeavors-arco-brand-of.html |title=Tijuana first to sell Andeavor's ARCO brand of gasoline in Mexico |work=[[San Antonio Business Journal]] |date=August 24, 2017 |first=Sergio |last=Chapa}}</ref> The introduction of the ARCO brand and other American brands in Mexico came after Mexico ended the monopoly of state-owned [[Pemex]].

In spring of 2018, Andeavor began rebranding some SuperAmerica branded stations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota to ARCO.<ref name="csn-2018mar12">{{cite news |url=https://csnews.com/andeavor-bring-arco-brand-new-region-spring |title=Andeavor to Bring ARCO Brand to New Region This Spring |website=Convenience Store News |date=March 12, 2018 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>
<!-- No map of ARCO locations yet: [[File:ARCO footprint.png|thumb|Map of ARCO locations as of 2024.]] -->
[[File:ARCOOhio.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An ARCO station in [[St. Clairsville, Ohio]] in 2021, well out of ARCO's traditional marketing territory and in the home state of Marathon.]]
Andeavor was acquired by [[Marathon Petroleum]] in 2018. Following the acquisition, Marathon hinted at keeping the ARCO brand name while rebranding Andeavor's other brands either as standard Marathon stations (for franchised locations) or [[Speedway (store)|Speedway]] locations (for company-owned locations); stations still owned by BP may either remain as ARCO or rebranded as [[Amoco]], as BP does not own the rights to the BP name due to licensing-based reasons in the Western United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kress |first1=Melissa |date=May 1, 2018 |title=How Marathon Petroleum & Andeavor Merger Will Create a Retail & Marketing Powerhouse |url=https://csnews.com/how-marathon-petroleum-andeavor-merger-will-create-retail-marketing-powerhouse|work=Convenience Store News }}</ref> Following the merger, ARCO and Marathon began to be marketed together with Marathon stations replacing various Andeavor brands in the Western markets (including [[Exxon]], [[Mobil]] and [[Shell USA|Shell]] stations under license with [[ExxonMobil]] and [[Shell plc|Shell]], respectively) while ARCO returned to Eastern markets for the first time since 1985. Marathon ultimately sold Speedway to [[7-Eleven|7-ELEVEn]] in 2021, including some former Andeavor properties.

In 2021, ARCO reinstituted accepting credit cards, and engaged in an advertising campaign to inform consumers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Campaign Overview |url=http://www.arco-marketing.com/campaign-overview |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=ARCO Marketing |language=en-US}}</ref>