Robbinston’s Scottway-Lucas becoming part of Dead River

CALAIS – Dead River Co. was notifying Scottway-Lucas Oil Co. customers Thursday that the small home heating oil business has become part of the larger company.

Scottway-Lucas is based in Robbinston and has been in business for the past four years.

“We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to serve you and are delighted that Marshall and Ruth Lucas chose Dead River Company, a Maine owned family business that has been part of Washington County since the 1930s, to carry on their delivery service,” the letter said.

The letter did not disclose how many customers Dead River had acquired or the terms of the deal.

This is not the first time the home heating oil company has made news with its acquisitions. In February, Irving Oil announced it had sold its home heating fuel business in northern and Down East Maine to Dead River, one of its biggest competitors.

That sale included branch offices in Fort Kent, Caribou, Mars Hill, Houlton, Millinocket, Calais and Machias. The terms of that deal also were not disclosed.

Two years ago, Calais-based fuel oil dealer J.D. Thomas Inc. merged its heating oil and propane delivery business with Dead River.

Along with its heating oil business, Dead River offers LP gas, service contracts, equipment financing, 30 days to pay and 24-hour emergency service.

Founded in 1907 by Charles Hutchins, Dead River Co. began as a forest products company. In 1936, the company acquired a heating oil company and a small chain of gasoline stations.

Dead River now has a presence in nearly every community in Maine, along with locations in New Hampshire and Vermont. The company established a real estate division in 1981.

The company employs about 900 people and has corporate and administrative offices in Portland and Bangor.

The Dead River office in Calais is on Barker Street.