In its present form the company was organized in January 1969.  In some respects the company's formation occurred much earlier when in 1937 Vern Oskey, one of Western's founders, first organized Oskey Bros. Petroleum Corporation, a company very much like Western. Officially the company is nearly 40 years old;  however over 60 years have elapsed since Western's independent marketing concepts were first introduced in the petroleum marketplace.

In its opening year of service to the oil industry Western's sales totaled $4,000,000 on which the company posted a small loss. In those early days the company marketed at roughly twenty terminal points in six states - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and both Dakotas.  The company's initial product slate consisted of two grades of gasoline and two grades of heating oil, the latter being sold alternatively as two separate grades of diesel fuel.  The company employed five salesmen, a credit manager, four customer service/billing individuals and two executives, who in truth were themselves just an extension of the company's sales force.

Our sole surviving founder James W. (Jim) Emison passed away December 28, 2005. Jim began his oil industry career at the C & C Oil Co., Inc. in Huntingon, Indiana and later joined Oskey Brothers Petroleum Corporation, St. Paul, Minnesota, serving as a Sales Manager. In 1956 MR. Emison commenced service with The Newfoundland Refining Company as Vice President of Marketing. In 1969, Mr. Emison returned to Minneapolis serving as founder, director and an officer of Western Petroleum Company. He served on the National Petroleum Council since 1970 and was a memeber of the American Petroleum Institute, the Northwestern Petroleum Association, the Minnesota Petroleum Association, and the Twin Cities Oilmen's Association.

The company's message to its customers was then as it is now:

• We will sell you quality products.
• We won't compete with you at retail.
• We will always be the intelligent alternative supplier for independent oil men.

Over the years that message has not only been heard but become gospel for thousands of Western's customers.

Today the company sells hundreds of millions of dollars of products annually from over seventy terminal locations in over 30 states and several provinces of Canada. Its product offerings range from propane to every grade of refined fuel - avgas to residual fuel oil.  The company employs or retains the services of over sixty skilled individuals who service customers 365 days a year from offices in Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, Lincoln, Chicago, Houston, Fargo, Salt Lake City, Denver, Raleigh and Calgary, Alberta.