Harbordale Lending Group passes funding requests from Bay County, Michigan fuel retailers and convenience stores to funding partners. This page covers station counts, equipment, store funding, station purchases and card-sales advances.
At a glance
- Gasoline stations, Bay County, MI
34 employers, 320 paid employees (CBP 2023)
- Convenience stores
16 employers (CBP 2023)
- Gas station payroll
$8.9 million (CBP 2023)
Gas Station Financing for Bay County, MI Fuel Retailers With a Store Inside
A fuel retailer with a store inside runs two businesses under one roof. The forecourt sells fuel on thin, fast-moving volume; the store sells snacks, drinks, tobacco and household goods. Lenders look at both, and often at how much of the station's gross profit comes from the store.
Bay County, MI had 34 gasoline stations with paid employees in 2023, with 320 paid employees and $8.9 million in annual payroll (County Business Patterns). Only 6 of the 34 had fewer than five employees.
How to Buy a Gas Station Business in Bay City, MI: Price, Fuel Contract and Equipment
Buying a gas station business means agreeing a price for the real estate (if included), the building, the tanks, dispensers and canopy, the store equipment, the inventory at closing and the goodwill. The fuel supply agreement matters as much as the property: it sets who supplies the fuel, on what terms and for how long.
Ask the seller early whether the supply agreement can be assigned to a buyer, and on what conditions.
Bay City, MI Convenience Store Funding for Fuel Retailers Restocking the Aisles
Store stock turns quickly and is reordered weekly or more often. A credit line lets the store pay vendors on their terms and pay the line down as sales come in. For a larger one-time purchase, such as an opening order after a remodel, inventory financing can fund the stock itself.
The business line of credit page explains how a revolving line works for weekly orders.
How to Buy a Gas Station in Bay County, MI: Site Records a Buyer Gathers
A station buyer gathers more site records than most business buyers:
- Tank registration and inspection records, and the tank ages.
- Any environmental reports for the site.
- The fuel supply contract, with the years left to run.
- Monthly fuel gallons and store sales for recent years.
- Tax returns and financial statements for the business.
Environmental and tank requirements are state and federal matters; confirm them with the regulators before closing.
How to Buy a Convenience Store Without Fuel in Bay City, MI: Inventory and Canopy Lighting
A convenience store without fuel is a simpler purchase: no tanks or dispensers, but the same coolers, shelving, point-of-sale system and stock. Canopy and exterior lighting, signage and parking lot work come up when a store is refreshed. Bay County, MI counted 16 convenience stores with paid employees in 2023 (CBP), and 8 of them had fewer than five employees.
The inventory count at closing sets the stock price; the equipment list shows what will need replacing.
Bay City, MI Business Loans for Gas Stations: Dispensers, Point-of-Sale and Store Remodels
Dispensers with updated card readers, point-of-sale systems, cooler doors and a store remodel are the main capital projects at a station. Dispensers and point-of-sale hardware fit an equipment loan or lease. A store remodel, with walls, flooring and lighting, fits a term loan.
Equipment financing explains leases and loans, and term loans cover remodels and purchases.
Card-Heavy Stations and the Merchant Cash Advance Question in Bay County, MI
Stations take a large share of sales by card, which is why card-sales advances are offered to them. An advance is not a loan: the provider buys part of future card receipts and collects them as batches settle. Fuel margins are narrow, so the holdback comes out of a small margin. The cash advance page has an invented example.
Always compare an advance's total collected amount with a loan's total payments for the same amount.
An Invented Dispenser Upgrade Example for a Bay City, MI Station
Illustration only, invented figures: a Bay City, MI station replaces four dispensers with card readers for an invented $120,000, installed, financed at an invented annual rate of 9.75% over 72 months. The monthly payment is about $2,208, and the payments total about $158,976 (our arithmetic).
If the station sells an invented 60,000 gallons a month, the invented payment works out to about 3.7 cents a gallon (our arithmetic). The grocery page covers store-only refrigeration, the industry hub lists the other trades, working capital covers one-time gaps, and the Bay City, MI page has local counts.
How stations and c-stores pay for coolers and stock works through an invented example.
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