Steve Perry, the elder brother, is president of Perry Brothers Oil Co. His brother Dave is vice president and is also president of Perry Brothers Aviation Fuels. Together, the two are continuing to lead a company that was started by their parents in the 1950s and now employs some 300 people. They have a sister, Jennifer Buford, who lives in Cordele.
Perry Brothers Oil, headquartered in Americus, has been named Business of the Month of September by the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce. Steve and Dave Perry sat down with the Chamber to talk about the business: its origins, where it is today, and what the future holds.
Steve said the company was founded on Sept. 1, 1957, by their father, the late William S. Perry and his mother, Joyce Perry, along with two Perry uncles, in Ellaville. Bill Perry, as their dad was known, was a commissioned agent with Standard Oil Co. He and their mom were working at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, but Bill Perry wanted to go into business for himself. So, he and his older brothers Eldridge and Tom started Perry Brothers Oil Co. The young company, only employing the husband and wife team, sold gasoline, diesel, oil, and tires. They started with one delivery truck.
In 1970, the company relocated to Americus at the corner of Elm Avenue and Furlow Street, where it operated until March 2007, when its physical plant was demolished by a tornado. That property was later rebuilt for Steve and Dave’s cousin Stuart Perry where he owns and operates Perry Wellness Center and Rudy’s Happy Patch. That is when plans began for a new complex at U.S Highways 280 and 19.
The family had purchased property at Highways 280 and 19, the former site of H. B. Arnold, a grain business, and Sunset Drive-in Theater. It took several years to prepare the site for construction and Steve said during this period, he and Dave worked on the design of the 45,000-sq. ft. complex which includes the business offices, the tire business, warehousing space, Gas N Go and its pumps, and space for parking their truck fleet. The family moved into the new location in 2012, which represents a huge investment in the Sumter County community.
And family is especially important. Bill Perry passed away in 2014, but his wife Joyce worked as the company’s tax accountant until 2013, when she retired at age 80. Steve’s son Stephen oversees the Gas N Go operations. They have 13 Gas N Go stores s