CARY, N.C. -- Valero has inked a branding agreement with The Pantry Inc. that will spread the Texas company's flag throughout the Southeast.

Under the new agreement, 143 properties will convert to a newly created Valero and Kangaroo Express co-branded banner across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. An additional 25 sites in Florida will be branded with Valero's standard teal and gold image, according to a Valero release.

The move will bring Valero's coast-to-coast network to nearly 5,400 retail and wholesale branded outlets.

In addition, Valero entered into an unbranded supply agreement with The Pantry to supply additional unbranded sites in Florida.

The Pantry Inc., parent of Kangaroo Express, is based in Cary, N.C. and operates more than 1,600 stores in 13 states.

"Our relationship with Valero, one of America's largest refiners, enables us to reliably supply our sites with their full line of quality fuels," explained Keith Bell, senior vice president, fuels with The Pantry. "Valero places a high premium on building strong relationships with its distributors and marketers, making this agreement a great fit for The Pantry. We place the same high value on the relationships we've established with our convenience store customers."

San Antonio-based Valero ranks No. 12 on the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations. Approximately 6,800 retail and branded wholesale outlets carry the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock and Beacon brands in the United States and the Caribbean; Ultramar in Canada; and Texaco in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

"Valero is extremely pleased to have The Pantry and the Kangaroo Express banners join the Valero family," said David Parker, senior vice president, product supply and wholesale marketing with Valero. "We view The Pantry as a valued strategic partner and the perfect addition to our branded presence in the Southeast. The Pantry and Valero's cultures are very similar, and it was a great fit from the very first meeting."