When you're hearing about a business for the first time, your first question is probably, “What do they do?” or “What are they about?” For some, it can be a difficult question to answer. But for B&A Petroleum, it's easy: they're here to support their communities.
B&A is a bulk fuel company based in Swift Current, with 4 full-service bulk plants in Swift Current, Gravelbourg, Assiniboia, and Maple Creek, as well as 12 cardlock locations across Southwest Saskatchewan.
To put it simply, they do more than just sell bulk fuel. Darryl and Janice Meyer, the owners of B&A, are incredibly dedicated to supporting their communities.
Janice explained, “Darryl and I both grew up in small communities. We saw what happened in the 1960s and 1970s when businesses started to pull out of the communities, how drastically it affected those communities. We’ve lived the experience of losing services and products, so we try our best to meet the needs of our customers.”
Over the years, B&A has added products and services that would fill in some of the gaps in their communities. These services primarily include supplying a full line of livestock minerals, supplements and salt for Maple Creek, Swift Current, Shaunavon, Mankota, and Assiniboia, and Flaman Rentals in Swift Current, Maple Creek, Shaunavon and Assiniboia and surrounding areas.
“We've attempted to become a one-stop shop for a lot of people, particularly in the smaller communities,” added Janice. “People here have shown that they're really resilient, and that's what we've tried to do as a business. To be resilient and responsive and grow with our customers so they can be successful, because we know that's what's going to contribute to the sustainability of the province.”
B&A is a family-owned business, going back to Darryl’s father in 1968. Leo Meyer owned a Shell Bulk Agency in Fox Valley, starting the business when Darryl was just ten years old.
Despite growing up in the industry and working as a truck driver for his father after high school, Darryl took the chance to step away from the family business in his early 20s. He remembered thinking, “There’s got to be something else in the world to do. So, I told my dad I was quitting, and he was not happy with me.”
Fortunately, the door opened back up for Darryl when his father purchased the Gulf Bulk Station in Maple Creek in 1981, rebranding it Meyer’s Fuels Ltd. Then, in 1984, Darryl said, “I made the big phone call back home, saying to my dad, ‘I’m going to quit my job.’ He said, ‘Well, you want to come back? You can’t quit again.’”
Darryl officially joined the Meyer’s Fuels Ltd. world in 1984, but only became a partner in 1987 when he purchased shares and married Janice. Then, in 1991, they bought out his parents which ultimately led to the opportunity to take over B&A Petroleum Ltd. in 2007 and expand into Swift Current, Gravelbourg, and Assiniboia.
“Our territory is vast,” said Darryl. “We cover an area right from the southwest corner of Saskatchewan up to Leader, and across to just north of Kyle. Then it cuts down on a diagonal on this side of Chaplin all the way till about 25 miles east of Assiniboia and down to the US border.”
As they’ve continued to serve the Southwest as a business, Darryl and Janice have also found ways to serve the Southwest as community members.
Janice said, “We've really focused on what's important to the people in the communities we serve. We don't just look at who supports our business; we look at how we can contribute to the communities in meaningful ways.”
B&A has sponsored numerous community programs, including building initiatives like arenas or recreation halls, youth literacy programs, mental health and addiction supports, minor, high school, and recreational sports, 4H and rodeo, rural fire departments, and food banks. They have also supported families and communities in times of crisis and provided service outside of business hours.
Some of the local organizations they support are the Dr. Noble Irwin Foundation, The Centre, the Drug Strategy Action Committee, the Swift Current Broncos, the Chinook Golf Course, Food Grains, and 50/50 for Change, among many others.
In reference to supporting community initiatives, Darryl added, “I know how much fun I had growing up in small towns, and I know how important a skating rink or rodeo ground is for holding communities together.”
Janice continued, “We're a family business. Family is important to us. And we know that the Saskatchewan spirit is really about supporting and helping each other. If there are things that we can do to meet the needs of our communities or fill a gap, or even just sustain what we've already invested in, we’re interested in doing that because that’s what we’re about.”
Although B&A Petroleum is under the umbrella of Petro Canada and Suncor, the service they and their staff provide is tailored to their communities.
“I want to give a shout out to our staff,” said Janice. “We have just over 50 people working for us. They live in the communities we serve. We pride ourselves on giving top-notch customer service, getting to know our customers, being flexible in meeting their needs… without all the people who work for us and the attitude and desire they bring to work, we wouldn’t be able to do that.”
Darryl also explained that the philosophy they bring to their employees and customers is, “Everybody has a dream.”
He explained, “Something I learned was, when you get into an enterprise like this that gets bigger and bigger all of a sudden, you have to make sure you’re not too focused on your own dream. Everybody that works here has a dream, everybody we supply products and services to has a dream, so it’s important to take the focus away from yourself and focus on the customers and workers who support you.”
B&A might not be a business you shop at every day, but their dedication to Southwest Saskatchewan is something you can’t miss.
See what they’ve been up to by checking out their Facebook page.