EXPANDING — Coen Markets, which owns area Ruff Creek stores, including this one on American Way in Weirton, has confirmed it has purchased the CoGos convenience store chain. -- Linda Harris

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Coen Markets has expanded its footprint throughout the Tri-State Area.

Charlie McIlvaine, chief executive officer of the Canonsburg-based company, confirmed Wednesday evening that Coen Markets had closed on the purchase of all of CoGo’s 38 convenience store locations last week. The firm, a division of Coen, already had 28 convenience locations in three states operating under the Ruff Creek Market label. Of the combined 66 stores, 57 have gasoline pumps.

Initially, the Ruff Creek and CoGo’s identities will remain, but they could be consolidated under one name at some point. Coen Markets plans to upgrade facilities and expand food options, and for now, will retain all CoGo’s employees.

“We need team members to grow,” McIlvaine said.

CoGo’s CEO John Eby III will serve as a vice president with Coen Markets.

“We seek to roll out our new image and upgraded offerings to our Coen as well as CoGo’s stores with the goal of having one chain, one image and a base offer,” McIlvaine said.

This deal between two established, local and family-owned companies had been in the works since early this year, officials explained.

“We built a relationship which led to discussions and ultimately signing an agreement in October,” McIlvaine said.

The closing occurred Dec. 20. The sales price was not disclosed.

Coen Markets now owns all CoGo’s assets and its 10-store franchise program.

Timelines for both companies are extensive. Coen Oil was founded in Canonsburg in 1923. The company branched out over time and now has three operating divisions: Coen Markets, Coen Tire and Thomaston Land. Coen Energy and Coen Transport were sold in October 2017.

There are 11 Ruff Creek Markets in Washington and Greene counties, plus locations in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, as well as stores in Steubenville, Weirton, Toronto, Wintersville, Follansbee and Brilliant.

CoGo’s history can be traced to 1917, when family-run Colteryahn Dairy launched. In the early 1960s, the owners realized that in addition to home deliveries, they had to start transporting milk and other items to retail stores. That led them to open a convenience store of their own, Stop-N-Go, in Bethel Park in 1962, which has expanded to become a regional chain.

Those stores were rebranded CoGo’s in the mid-1980s. All of its current locations are in Western Pennsylvania, with the company headquarters in Upper St. Clair. Efforts to contact Eby there were unsuccessful.

“I think there are a number of parallels that both sides found attractive,” McIlvaine said. “They are two entities that were raised here, two entities that have been around for some time, two entities that are family-owned and have the same distributors. There’s great symmetry.”

Diners should be among the winners, as signature items from both markets will be available. Pepperoni rolls, made and baked in the store, are an extremely popular CoGo’s item. McIlvaine touts Coen Markets’ never-frozen, prepared-in-the-store chicken, hand-cut jojos from Idaho potatoes, bean-to-cup coffee and breakfast sandwich offerings.

Coen Markets, McIlvaine acknowledged, “will likely make additional acquisitions.” But the focus now, he added, “is to integrate CoGo’s locations” — enhancing the footprint of his company.