Davenport Energy
108 S. Main Street, Chatham, Virginia, United States

History

Founded in 1941 in Chatham, Va., Davenport Energy is a family-owned company started by the late Ben J. Davenport Sr.  Mr. Davenport worked hard to build the business, first as a distributor for Crown Central Petroleum Company and later Atlantic Refining.  Chatham Oil Company, as the company was known in its early years, delivered fuel and petroleum products to small mom-and-pop service stations, tobacco farmers, and homes throughout Pittsylvania County.  Mr. Davenport’s  word was his bond, and he believed that a promise made was a debt unpaid. Businesses and residents quickly recognized him as a person of good character and man to trust, and it wasn’t long before Chatham Oil Company began to grow — one customer, one tank, and one delivery at a time.  Through the years, Mr. Davenport’s wife, Lois, worked by his side, and remained an integral part of the company into her 90s. Even after the company switched to computers, she continued keeping the books and making sure pricing was done correctly on delivery tickets. She was kind and generous beyond measure; if someone couldn’t pay their oil bill, she’d tell the driver to bring her the ticket and pay it out of her own pocket.  The company remains a family business today. Ben Davenport Jr. serves as chairman, and his nephew, Lewis E. Wall Jr., is president and chief executive officer. The company employs approximately 150 people.  Chatham Oil Company’s first major expansion came in the 1970s with the purchase of Davis Oil Company in Martinsville, a pivotal acquisition that positioned the company to become a regional energy supplier.  Chatham Oil Company ventured into the burgeoning propane business in the 1980s with the purchase of its first bobtail and construction of an LP bulk plant in Chatham.  The company also began building and operating Express Mart convenience stores. The popular convenience store chain grew to approximately 30 stores before it was sold in 1998. After that came Davenport’s new, upscale convenience stores in Charlotte, N.C., that were sold to Exxon in 2001.  Meanwhile, Chatham Oil Company continued to expand in the propane and fuel oil business with a major acquisition of U.S. Oil-Cox Oil and Gas Company in South Boston and Halifax County in 1999.  Other strategic additions and mergers through the years included Hub Oil Company, Workman Oil, J.C. Nichols, Premier Propane, Suburban Propane (Danville and South Boston), Maddox Oil, Central Oil Co., APB Whiting (Roanoke and Covington), Lester Penn Oil Coal and Oil, and Abercrombie Oil Company.  In 2003, Chatham Oil Company changed its name to Davenport Energy to better reflect its regional footprint, which now includes offices in Chatham, Danville, Gretna, Roanoke, Rocky Mount, Martinsville, Bedford, South Boston, and Covington in Virginia and Greensboro and Siler City in North Carolina.  As a company, Davenport Energy believes that that are many ways to operate a business, but only one correct way — treating people as we want to be treated, and being true to our commitments while never compromising our values. These are our rules of conduct and creed of ethics.  As we embark on our future, Davenport Energy will continue to embrace our rich past and hold true these virtues. Our name represents our regional operations and better explains to our customers what we do. We sell energy — fuel oil, propane, and gasoline.  Down the road, it might be natural gas, electricity, or even hydrogen; the opportunities are only limited by our imagination.  More importantly, we sell service.  Texaco Oil Company had a slogan, penned by a Danville native, Henry Hardy: “You can trust your car to the man that wears the star.”  Who will our customers trust with their heating and fueling needs to their homes and businesses? We hope it will be a company they have  counted on for more than 75 years — Davenport Energy.

Davenport Energy delivers propane, fuel oil, and other petroleum products to more than 30,000 customers throughout southern, southwest, and central Virginia and North Carolina.  In addition, Davenport Energy supplies gasoline and diesel fuel to more than 200 convenience stores throughout the region. We are a branded wholesaler and licensed distributor for ExxonMobil, Marathon, BP, Citgo, and Gulf, and offer unbranded gasoline partnerships under the Spirit, Daytona, and Pure flags.

Mission

Davenport Energy has been meeting the region’s fuel needs for more than 75 years. We provide propane, fuel oil/kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuel service for homes, businesses, and convenience stores throughout central, southside and southwestern Virginia. Friendly people, reliable service, fair and honest pricing. That’s the Davenport difference and our promise to you. 

You can count on Davenport Energy to provide a range of services to make your home more comfortable and efficient, including:

• Delivery of propane gas for stoves, home heating, water heaters, dryers, gas-log fireplaces, and space heaters.
• Delivery of home heating oil.
• Automatic fill-up options to ensure uninterrupted service from your gas furnace and appliances.
• Professional tank maintenance, plus free and easy tank switch-out.
• Sales and installation of propane appliances, as well as gas logs/appliance hearth fireplaces.

Fuel Oil

Davenport Energy provides #2 fuel oil and #1 kerosene to customers who use it to efficiently and safely heat their homes. To find out which heating oil to use in your furnace or boiler, call Davenport Energy or check your manufacturer’s instructions.  Heating oils are stored in above ground and underground storage tanks. Our knowledgeable staff at Davenport Energy are ready to answer any questions you may have concerning the purchase of a tank or how to best meet your needs.  Davenport Energy has the supply and manpower to provide excellent service to our residential and commercial customers. We have bulk plants strategically placed near your home in order to meet your needs as quickly and efficiently as possible. Likewise, we also dispatch transport/bulk deliveries to commercial customers.

Diesel

Davenport Energy supplies on-road and off-road diesel to commercial, industrial, and agriculture customers who use it to power farm and industrial equipment. We also provide gasoline for customers who have a private gasoline tank at their home or farm.  Our customers are satisfied in knowing we have bulk plants with product available for delivery and drivers on-call 24 hours a day.