R.H. Foster sells lubricants division

BANGOR – R.H. Foster of Hampden last month sold its lubricants division to a North Carolina company for an undisclosed price.

Windward Petroleum Partners Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., purchased the division and will meld it into wholly owned subsidiary Bailey Distributing of Manchester, N.H., said Windward president F. Andrew Welcher on Tuesday.

Bailey has been distributing lubricant products for use in automotive, commercial and industrial businesses in southern Maine and other New England states, and was looking for an opportunity to expand northward.

R.H. Foster has warehouses in Hampden, Caribou and Scarborough. The future of the Scarborough facility is under evaluation, Welcher said, “but we’re still operating Scarborough at this time.”

The other two warehouses will remain in operation, and “all the workers will stay in the same spot,” he said.

“We now have full coverage in Maine,” Welcher said.

A representative of R.H. Foster did not return a telephone call for comment Tuesday.

Windward currently has operations in western Pennsylvania and in eight southern states.

According to a statement on its Web site, R.H. Foster plans to continue operating convenience stores throughout Maine and distributing retail heating oil and propane, and wholesale fuels.