BANGOR – Dead River Co., one of the state’s largest suppliers of heating fuels, is purchasing Hamel Fuels of Brewer for an undisclosed amount.

Bob Moore, a senior vice president for Dead River, said the sale was completed Tuesday.

“All I can say is we paid a fair price for his business,” Moore said.

About 38 of Hamel’s 40 employees, including drivers and technicians, will be working for Dead River, said Scott Kimball, president of Hamel. Company chairman Richard Hawkins, however, will be retiring in a few months.

Both Kimball and Moore said the change to new ownership should be a “seamless transition” for Hamel’s employees and customers.

“Same trucks, same drivers,” said Moore, noting that Dead River’s name soon will appear on Hamel’s vehicles.

“Our programs are very similar – our pre-buy plan, our budget plan,” Kimball said. “All the same faces are going to be there.”

The sales transaction began about two months ago. Moore said Dead River is known in the heating fuels industry as being an interested buyer in any of the smaller companies.

That’s true, Kimball said.

“The major companies will come around and visit every once in a while and see if we’re interested,” he said.

More than a month ago, the companies submitted their purchase plan to the state Attorney General’s Office for review. The attorney general must ensure that the sale will not diminish a competitive marketplace. The office said it would not take action regarding the sale.

“The Bangor-Brewer area is considered to be a healthy market, a lot of companies with healthy, robust competition,” Moore said.

Dead River was founded by Charles Hutchins in 1907. It still is a family business. It sells home heating oil and propane in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and operates numerous convenience stores.

Hamel Fuels began in 1932 in the Bangor-Brewer area. In 1981, founder Wellington Hamel sold the business to Hawkins. The company sells heating fuels and propane and operates a burner service and a convenience store.