Mobil gas station to reopen on Washtenaw near US-23 following 2-year closure
Misty Filsinger, new owner of the Mobil gas station at Washtenaw and Carpenter, plans to reopen the station on Thursday after a two year vacancy.
Angela Cesare | AnnArbor.com
Misty Filsinger said the station, located at 4005 Washtenaw, will reopen Thursday after being closed for over two years. Filsinger worked as a manager at the Mobil under the previous owner before beginning the process to buy the vacant space about a year ago.
Filsinger said she was interested in buying the station because she believes this Pittsfield Township location gets steady business from people in the area.
“I know what this station can do,” Filsinger said. “I’m assuming our customers will come back to us.”
Filsinger, who is closing on her loan in a week, said the purchasing process took a long time due to issues related to the “funding and financing of a non-operable gas station.”
According to Pittsfield Township tax records, the previous owners of the property were Adams O.A. LLC, registered to Kadry Ebrahim. The assessed value of the property is $336,900, giving it an estimated market value of just over $670,000.
Filsinger, an Ypsilanti resident, would not disclose the purchase price or estimate her total investment.
However, she said her renovations have included putting in a new roof, buying new gas pumps and repainting the building.
“I really cleaned up the whole place,” Filsinger said. “It looks cleaner than I’ve ever seen a gas station.”
Filsinger’s purchase comes at a time when Ann Arbor has seen a wave of gas station changes. In the past few years, several station owners boarded their doors and moved out.
More recently, gas station developments have included the reopening and remodeling of the Marathon by Arborland, the opening of the Kroger Fuel Center on Carpenter and the planned reopening of the former Packard Mini Mart.
According to a 2010 report, Mark Griffin of the Michigan Petroleum Association said gas stations were shrinking across the state because owners “don’t make money selling gasoline.” He said gas sales were down 17 percent from where they were in 2004.
These decreases in consumption rates are beginning to level off though, said Jonathan Cogan of the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Consumption is expected to be fairly flat between this year and last year,” Cogan said. “It is growing slightly, but not by much.”
According to an EIA inventory, U.S. gas consumption was 9.03 million barrels per day in 2010. That number is projected to grow to 9.12 by 2012.
Although Michigan gas prices set a state record at $4.26 a gallon this month for a day's average, Mobil owner Filsinger said she expects her station to get business because her product is a “necessary commodity.”
“First, nobody has gas prices much lower than the other,” Filsinger said. “We’re all on the same page. And gas is like food. You may reduce your usage, but you have to have it.”
Filsinger said she plans to hire three employees. She said, "I hope to keep things local by creating a few jobs for people in the area."
Pittsfield Township supervisor Mandy Grewal said she hopes these recent gas station openings and trends in consumption rates are reflective of a positive economic turn.
“This may signify that the economy is taking a turn for the better,” Grewal said. “The Pittsfield area is a very vital corridor for the region. I think that’s reflected in some of the reopenings we’ve seen in the last few years.”
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at or 734-623-2584 or at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
meechigan
Fri, Jun 17, 2011 : 3:14 a.m.
Is this station still going to open?
SillyTree
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 10:32 p.m.
You can't successfully charge more just because things cost you more. That's not how the economy works. If you could, every business would make a profit. All they would need to do is increase their prices to cover addtional costs such as those supposedly caused by union contracts. You charge based on demand. If credit is more convenient, there might be a demand for that convenience and you can sell that. That is what they are doing. It has nothing to do with increased cost due to surcharges. If there were no demand, it would go away. If everyone paid cash, the demand would go away. Gas stations would then start to accept cards without charging a higher price. Why? Because it is more convenient for them. Cash has to be counted and held. Errors in bookkeeping increase due to cash and it tempts embezzlement and robbery. People are paying attention! What they aren't paying in many cases is more money to help streamline the accounting of the station owner. ATM's and credit cards are a profit dream come true for banks. They allow them to cut costs and increase revenue in one move. The setup is institutional in nature and that leaves consumers without choice. That is not free market. It stifles business. That is why credit unions are popular, but the banks would like that to go away too. I'm not saying banks are the enemy; I'm saying they are not your friend. Delete We're sorry. We were unable to delete the comment at this time.
bedrog
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 8:37 p.m.
It'll be interesting to see how the newly reopened station handles pricing. The station immediately across washtenaw to the south typically has gas several cents higher than stations adjacent to arborland 1/4 mile away. I hope the re-newed one follows the latter.
John B.
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 7:17 p.m.
Those that are whining about the cash discount issue are utterly clueless. It is a discount for cash. It is not a surcharge. The prices didn't increase when it was instituted; they stayed the same (for credit sales). Offering a cash discount is passing the savings to your customer, and I welcome it. The bank fee to cash in a credit card slip is about 1-4%, depending mostly on the size of your business. Let's take the median of that: 2.5%. At $4 per gallon, that means the station operator is paying 10 cents to cash in each gallon's receipt (that is paid for by a credit card). The gross profit on a gallon of gas is so tiny that often that 10 cents exceeds it! If you wan to be mad at someone, be mad at the ExxonMobils and the BPs that are making obscene, record levels of profit while being subsidized by our Tax Dollars, not the retailers that are lucky to make a couple cents' worth of profit per gallon, if any. (No, I am not a retailer of gasoline, but I do own my own (unrelated) small business, so I am quite aware of the costs of doing business, as well as market-based pricing, etc.).
SillyTree
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 10:31 p.m.
That is not true. I was working at a gas station when Amoco first started the "discount" for cash. This was back in the 80's. The owner of the station did not like it. He told me there was a law that prevented charging credit card customers more, but no law about charging cash customers less. Any student of logic can tell you that "equal to or greater than" is equivalent to "not less than." It is not even a matter of semantics. It is a matter for logically rewording the issue. We aren't charging the credit card customers more; we are charging the cash customers less. I don't think "utterly clueless" is a fair term. It does not help the argument you are trying to make. Nobody, even you, is utterly clueless. There is no such thing as passing savings to your customer. You cannot pass expenses to your customer. You can and should charge what the market will bear. Why would you do anything else? The "amount more" that credit card customers pay over cash customers is not for added cost. It is for the conenience of using the card. There is a demand for that and that is why it costs more. Cash is inconvenient to the station owner. It must be counted, held and it promotes robbery and embezzlement.
Goofus
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
I won't shop at the stations that do the "cash" or "credit" price either. I don't really care about their reasoning for doing it, I just refuse to encourage the practice by patronizing the stations that do it. It seems to be only in the A2/Ypsi area. I live and work near Livingston County, and also go down to Detroit, and not near as many stations do this as the ones on the Washtenaw corridor do. Just say no to price differences in gas.
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:39 p.m.
soooooooooooo, yo want -everyone- to pay hte higher price by force/dictate ... evne the intelligent shopers. tsk-tsk.
Soothslayer
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 1:09 p.m.
You folks aren't paying attention. Using a credit card COSTS the owner money. They're not the ones reaping the huge profits on gasoline, the oil COMPANIES and are. If you profess you care about keeping your dollar working local use CASH. More of the funds go directly to the local business owner. For credit you're simply sending your money to some out of state credit card company instead of the gas station itself. Using credit cards are a laziness tax akin to the lotto being an ignorance tax. I believe there may be a break to the owner on processing the transaction as a debit card purchase (pin number and all) as this is somewhat more of a direct transfer but I can't remember the details. Stop at the ATM, get some cash for the week and use it at the local businesses. They always accept it and its the way we can help small businesses in America return to work.
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:36 p.m.
now, now, there,,, @andy "Using credit cards are a laziness tax akin to the lotto being an ignorance tax," the truth will set them ...... oh,wiat,nevermind.
SillyTree
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 6:56 p.m.
You can't successfully charge more just because things cost you more. That's not how the economy works. If you could, every business would make a profit. All they would need to do is increase their prices to cover addtional costs such as those supposedly caused by union contracts. You charge based on demand. If credit is more convenient, there might be a demand for that convenience and you can sell that. That is what they are doing. It has nothing to do with increased cost due to surcharges. If there were no demand, it would go away. If everyone paid cash, the demand would go away. Gas stations would then start to accept cards without charging a higher price. Why? Because it is more convenient for them. Cash has to be counted and held. Errors in bookkeeping increase due to cash and it tempts embezzlement and robbery. People are paying attention! What they aren't paying in many cases is more money to help streamline the accounting of the station owner. ATM's and credit cards are a profit dream come true for banks. They allow them to cut costs and increase revenue in one move. The setup is institutional in nature and that leaves consumers without choice. That is not free market. It stifles business. That is why credit unions are popular, but the banks would like that to go away too. I'm not saying banks are the enemy; I'm saying they are not your friend.
treetowncartel
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 4:14 p.m.
Well said, cash is King!
loves_fall
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.
If they want people to use cash, they better allow pump-then-pay again. Otherwise, you waste a good minute of your life waiting for the pump to creep up to what you've prepaid.
mg0blue
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 7:19 a.m.
@stonecutter: I fully agree with you. Accepting credit cards is a price of doing business and I refuse to give any business to a gas station that has separate prices for cash and credit. In my mind it's kind of like charging customers more for gas at night because you have to turn the lights on, and thus because you offer the "convenience" of offering gas sales at night, then the customer should pay to offset the cost to the business. That being said, I wish the new owners of the business the best of luck and hope that they are successful! I will gladly give my business to this gas station....as long as the "credit surcharge" goes away before they open.
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:31 p.m.
ummmmmm,no, less for gas during daylight because there is no extara burden on the business then ... you do realize, of course, that a single price means the 'night' burden is foisted onto teh 'day' people ... as @john-b. smartly notoed, it;s a discount not a surcharge.
John B.
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
It's a cash discount, not a surcharge. How many businesses have you owned?
stonecutter1
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 3:38 a.m.
Sorry mdf, not all gas stations charge for credit card use! If you plan on it, good luck! I will not pay the upcharge! You reap the benefits of credit card use and then want to pass the cost on to your customer? This place will be out of business in less than a year. Only a fool would pay more for the right to use their credit card! Either accept credit cards, or don't.
Jon Saalberg
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 3:17 a.m.
In the immortal words of Mr. Parker, "That's real news".
loves_fall
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 1:47 a.m.
I used to get gas there all the time before they closed, but mostly because the prices were always pretty low.
mdf
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 1:20 a.m.
All convenience store/gas stations have a surcharge that is quite costly for credit card usage. This fee comes from the credit card company, not the business. This is the reason that most stations offer one price for cash and one for credit, trying to offer the consumer the benefit of not paying the extra "cents" that the credit card company charges.
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Tue, May 17, 2011 : 12:16 p.m.
@loves-fall .... ummm, try the pespective of the business creating the opportunity for the consumer to -save- a few cents if they choose to. knock-knock? i use boht cash&cards ... and willl asolutley use cash if there is a savings.
Zachary Williams
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 8:37 p.m.
@Tag Square does not offer lower rates for swipe transactions than traditional credit car merchant accounts. Square is 2.75% of the transation, while other swipe transactions are usually less than 2%, sometimes even around 1.3%. Square is a great service, but it is not meant for gas stations.
loves_fall
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.
Generally speaking though, I still feel like the surcharge is a total cop out on the part of the business owner. Speedway, for example, doesn't charge two prices. It only became popular when all the station owners decided to do it and basically put consumers in a lurch. I'm not disagreeing that it ultimately comes from credit card companies, but as a rule I tend not to shop at places that have dual prices because I don't think that cost should be passed through to consumers.
Tag
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.
Consider looking into square (squareup.com) it offers a much lower credit card transaction fee for business owners.
molady
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 12:08 a.m.
I've missed this station, however, if the sign in front that shows "cash price" and "credit price" means they are going to charge different amounts for cash and credit, I will NOT be a customer.
Epengar
Sun, May 15, 2011 : 2:54 a.m.
It doesn't bother me. I don't mind using cash to save some money. I know it costs the business money to take my card. Also, a sign in an Espresso Royale cafe recently reminded me that the money you pay to use credits cards goes to big international companies, not to the the local business owner. So if you're making an effort to buy local, it's also helpful to buy with cash.
Wolf's Bane
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.
Congratulations, I'm relieved to hear it's NOT another restaurant. Yahooooo!
mdf
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 7 p.m.
As soon as the station is open, we will be accepting applications fasteddy, so please stop by. To begin with, we are going to be operated by family members (about 6 weeks or so) to get on our feet, then we will look to hire. Please stop by. Thanks to all the Good luck wishes. Free popcorn, soda and coffee the first week of opening. We are also going to have a couple of raffles. Please feel free to stop by and give us suggestions, if we don't have the products you need, let us know so we can order and have it on hand your next visit!!
Brian
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 5:33 p.m.
Congratulations. Hoping the customer service is much better than before. I haven't bought gas at this location since 1997 after being treated very poorly by the previous owner. I had put some gas in my car and realize I'd forgotten my wallet and had to call a friend to bring me my wallet. The owner instead of being patient for a few minutes called the police who came out proceeded to search my car all for $20 in gas. It was embarrassing for no reason. Soon my friend brought me my wallet and I paid and have never bought gas there since that incident. Perhaps others were treated with the same disrespect which is why the place closed. It's a great location. Hope for great customer service too. Best of luck to the new owner.
fight hunger
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.
wish u all the best in your buiness
Rob MI
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 1:47 p.m.
Picture caption: "reopen the station on Tuesday" Article caption: "will reopen Thursday". Well, which is it? More stellar proofing from annarbor.com. Regardless, best of luck to the new owner.
Michigan Reader
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 3:05 p.m.
'Picture caption: "reopen the station on Tuesday" 'Article caption: "will reopen Thursday". 'Well, which is it?" It's opening next week.
Lizzy Alfs
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 1:52 p.m.
Thanks @Rob MI. The station was originally set to open Tuesday, but the opening date moved to Thursday recently. Thanks for catching the mistake.
zip the cat
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 1:43 p.m.
Bad,Bad,Bad location Its next to impossible to get out of there driveway with all the traffic at the carpenter/washtenaw light. If you want to go east on washtenaw,well forget it Good luck
15crown00
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 12:41 p.m.
to many gas stations in that area.good luck though
goingfast3579
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 12:39 p.m.
Congrats, Misty glad to see a local trying. I need a job where can I apply?
bedrog
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 11:58 a.m.
Glad to hear it...this is "our" station in terms of convenience of location.
BobbyTarsus
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 11:49 a.m.
I'm glad the owner is a local. It always puzzled me why that location closed. A very busy intersection to say the least.
tdw
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 12:43 p.m.
My guess is that it's TOO busy.Traffic is always heavy or backed up.Hard to get in and out.But thats just a guess.
thehawk
Sat, May 14, 2011 : 11:14 a.m.
Congrats on your new business, Misty! We'll be there!