ANSONIA — If all goes as planned, truck drivers and other motorists will be able to refuel at a new gas station just south of Greenville later this year.
The new fueling station, to be built at the intersection of U.S. Route 127 and Ohio Route 49, will be located next to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s new garage and near the Darke County Sheriff’s Office facilities.
Owners Marc and Mike Erwin of Erwin Bros. Trucking of Ansonia, said they hope to begin moving earth on the project early in April with completion of the station slated for sometime this fall.
In January, the company completed a purchase of approximately 20 acres from Darke County for the station. The new fuel stop will feature five pumps for automobiles and four pumps for semi-trucks. It will be open 24 hours a day and house a convenience store. There will also be space available for a restaurant to lease.
They expect to hire approximately 24 employees for the station’s opening.
The brothers have broached the possibility the company itself could relocate south, as it will possess the space to do so, but that such a move is too far into the future to project.
“We’re looking at two phases,” said Mike. “Phase one will be building the fuel stop. Phase two, if it happens, would be to move the business there.”
“However, it’s not a given we’re going to move,” added Marc.
Both brothers cited Greenville’s larger population and the location as critical elements for building there.
“Right now, there’s really no convenient place to get fuel for trucks in the area,” said Mike. “This is the busiest intersection in the county.”
Erwin Bros. has been a longtime fixture in Ansonia. The business’s origins began with the brother’s parents, Kenny and Marilyn Erwin, who founded K&M Service in the late 1960s. This eventually branched out from auto repair to include trucking.
The Erwin Bros. portion of the business began in 1999 as trucking became the primary focus versus the auto repair side. Erwin Bros. trucks transport ethanol and diesel, selling to other fuel dealers and trucking businesses. The company’s rigs also haul commercial products such as nursery stock, plastics, eggs and refrigerated foods.
Currently, in addition to the headquarters in Ansonia, the Erwins have a satellite office in Bluffton, Ohio, and a terminal in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
When asked if the company could further expand, Mike said, “We could, if the opportunity arises.”
