Cepro buys Robin Oil network, its network to grow by 75 stations

State-run fuel distributor Cepro has bought the Robin Oil network from entrepreneur Jiri Zoubek and its EuroOil network will grow by 75 to 285 petrol stations, making it the third largest petrol station network in the Czech Republic, Cepro announced today.

The company did not disclose the price of the transaction. The deal was recently approved by the antitrust office UOHS.

"For further growth and development of services in the coming years, the offer to buy a rival network seems to be another way to increase added value. The purchase of Robin Oil means a direct economic effect for Cepro as well as a market share that has a specific value," said Cepro CEO Jan Duspeva.

Robin Oil has so far been supplied fuel by Cepro, selling 150 million litres annually.

The EuroOil network will gain new stations in busy places, Cepro said, adding the location of both networks' stations overlaps only minimally.

"Robin Oil has much larger outlets with a high level of catering services, which we have lacked so far," Duspeva said.

According to him, the acquired network also has the potential in the field of alternative energy, which EuroOil has not yet offered. "We are also looking for other synergies in the merger, be it logistics, wider use of fleet cards or offering additional services," Duspeva added.

Cepro is engaged in the transportation, storage and sale of petroleum products. It is owned by the state, with the Finance Ministry as the sole shareholder. According to the annual report, Cepro had a turnover of Kc91bn in 2022, with after-tax profit at Kc1.6bn.

Robin Oil was entered into the Register of Companies in 1994. According to its financial statements, the company had a turnover of Kc5.5bn and a net profit of Kc83m in 2022.

Both companies are among the seven largest owners of petrol stations in the country, but even after the merger their market share will not reach 15 percent.

Source: Cepro and CTK