For 76 years, the name Dunlop Bros. Fuels has been part of the business fabric of fuel delivery in Port Elgin and beyond.
It all began with John Dunlop, who had at one time worked for the White Rose (British American Oil Company) delivering oil up and down the Bruce Peninsula. Then on April 1, 1949, he had the opportunity to go into business for himself and start as an agent/distributor for the company in Port Elgin. A year later, his brother Ross joined the business as a driver and the business became known as Dunlop Bros. Fuel Oil.
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Things were different then. Ross Dunlop had lost his right arm in a threshing machine accident, but that didn’t stop him. Instead, he drove the truck shifting with his left hand while still driving. At that time, the business was operating out of a fuel yard and warehouse at 1011 Goderich at the north end of Port Elgin.
Then, in 1969, the B.A. Oil Company rebranded after Gulf Oil Company bought out British American in 1967, but the local name Dunlop Bros. Fuel remained.
In 1974, Don McDermid, Carol Dunlop’s husband joined the company, followed shortly after in 1976, by Rob Dunlop following his college graduation. Then, in 1980, Rob Dunlop and his brother-in-law bought his uncle Ross’ share of the business.
The family saga continued when, five years later in 1985, brother Barry Dunlop, who previously worked for Ontario Hydro at the Bruce Power site, also joined the company. About the same time, Petro Canada bought out Gulf Canada and Dunlop Bros. Fuels became a distributor for Petro Canada.
Over the years, the company expanded and acquired a few smaller local fuel distributors resulting in developing a wider geographic area of distribution. From Sauble Beach in the north to Tara, Desboro and Scone in the east and Cargill, Huron-Kinloss, Ripley and Kincardine to the south, the company continued to grow.
Then, in 1991, the family built its own bulk plant with a commercial fuel card-lock at today’s Port Elgin location on MacKenzie Road, becoming an independent fuel distributor – Dunlop Bros. (1991) Ltd.
Suddenly however, in December 2002, the founder of the company, John Dunlop, died at home in 2002 at the age of 79.
The business however carried on and the following year, 2003, Rob and Barry Dunlop bought their brother-in-law, Don McDermid’s shares. McDermid however, also stayed on with the company on a part-time basis until his early death in 2015.
The matriarch of the family, Norma Dunlop, also continued to be a fixture in the office, driving in to work every day, even at the age of 96, to answer the phones until, in October, 2019, she passed away.
Although Barry Dunlop bought his brother Rob’s share of the company in early 2012, Rob Dunlop remained with the company full time for a number of years before moving to part time.
Time however marches on and Barry Dunlop turns 65 on October 4th this year. Therefore, when the opportunity and offer came from MidWest Co-op out of Teeswater to buy the company, he decided to take the offer and, after 76 years under the Dunlop family, the company is changing hands.
According to the Dunlops, Midwest Co-op will still operate out of the Port Elgin terminal and office and hopes to expand the business and its card-lock potential.
Barry Dunlop will also stay on with Midwest for a time to provide consistency during transition as will fuel delivery person, Paul McKinnon.
After more than 75 years of answering the area’s families’ and business’s fuel needs, Port Elgin’s oldest family business, Dunlop Bros. Fuels is about to change hands.
For 76 years, the name Dunlop Bros. Fuels has been part of the business fabric of fuel delivery in Port Elgin and beyond.
