Sohio (part of the Standard Oil Company) seems to have launched its expansion beginning in the 1930s, buying out smaller stations affiliated with lesser brands and replacing them with their own. A few examples would be stations located at E. 30th and Pearl; Colorado Ave. and Root Road; Oberlin Ave. and Meister Road; and W. 21st and Leavitt Road.
And here's another one: Smedley's Sohio Service, located at E. 31st and Grove Ave. The station held its Grand Opening back on June 19, 1954 as noted in the Lorain Journal ad that ran that day. The Sohio station replace one of unknown branding operated by Louis Czapp and Alex Vangeloff.
Today a BP station is at that location (BP acquired Standard Oil back in 1987).
Anyway, I like to post vintage Grand Opening ads of any kind, and I've had this in my files for a while. But I must confess, part of my interest in this ad is the last name of the proprietor – Smedley – as it is the same name as Cap'n Crunch's pet elephant.
I worked for SOHIO just before and for some time after BP bought it. Through the transition, I had my first run-in with what today's marketing people call "branding." We were all given a multi-page document with instructions on how to use their logo.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a Sohio station on Lorain Rd and Stearns in North Olmsted near me. I knew the attendant and he collected Sohio memorabilia. When BP took over he really wanted to save a Sohio sign but was not allowed to keep one. Sohio accounted for all the signage and stored them behind the station until they were picked up and destroyed. By the way, I am Dennis Thompson, Google will only let me use my google name for some reason.
Delete"tooldenny"? Sounds like a Nineties band.
DeleteSohio was my mother's brand of choice for her car; I can still hear her requesting "a dollar's worth of Boron" at the station on Route 58 on the way to Oberlin, or the 21st and Leavitt location.
ReplyDeleteMe, I had a crush on the Sohio girl, in her red white and blue, early Seventies pantsuit; she was right up there with Joey Heatherton and Mean Mary Jean .
I worked for Sohio pumping gas and doing repairs for some times as a young fellow. I even found one of the nifty captain's hats as seen in the ad above (the Sohio ad, not Cap'n Crunch), and wore it proudly.
ReplyDeleteI'm still tinkering with the comment settings, Dennis. Hopefully now you should be able to comment now like you used to.
ReplyDeleteI worked at a SOHIO station over in Westlake while in high school ‘83-‘86, those were some of the best times of my life, I still keep up with the friends I made there all those years ago, I travelled the world and ended up here on the Ms gulf coast, Avon Lake and Lorain county in general will always be “home”
ReplyDeleteLorain High has produced several very successful graduates. In my Class of 1968, one student became the CEO of British Petroleum America. At a class reunion I told him that changing the name of SOHIO to BP was risking all the business good will that the SOHIO brand had d its customers. He disagreed. So there’s that.
ReplyDeleteLHS-B-MAN: I was in his office several time 'way up on the tippy-top floor a few times in the mid-80s. Well, his secretary's office, troubleshooting printers. Very quiet, there, with the top china, as they say. Mahogany, oak, and cherry wood. Thick, plush carpets. Those folks were chauffeured in thru the basement so they didn't have to mix with us hoi-polloi in the commoner's elevators. I felt kind of sorry for them since they never seemed to laugh or have any fun.
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