Heath Oil to hold grand re-opening later this month

The Heath Oil at 5821 Route 322 near Franklin will hold a grand re-opening May 22 after some major renovations.

The event is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day and will feature some prizes.

The flagship location and corporate office for the multi-location business, in existence since 1970, closed in December to start the upgrades, said employee Christine Heath-Hinzman, daughter of founder Daniel Heath.

“This was our flagship location, our first-ever gas station,” Heath-Hinzman said. “We wanted to do some updates and remodeling here first, modernize it, and bring it up to date.”

One of the biggest changes for customers will be the ability to swipe a credit card at the pump to pay, she said.

The gas station also sports new tanks, dispensers, canopy and blacktop, as well as a new digital number display.

Though people can now pay at the pump, Heath-Hinzman and fellow employee Trish McKissick said they can still come in and pay cash or credit inside the building, and they hope customers will still come inside to visit.

“We don’t want to lose our touch with the customers,” McKissick said. “They come in here, bring their dogs in, bring their kids in and we give the kids a lollipop…we focus on our customers. That’s what’s important.”

The station will offer regular unleaded gas and off-road diesel, Heath-Hinzman said.