Wesco Founder Dies
FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Basil A. “Bud” Westgate, founder of the Wesco chain of service stations, died Thursday at age 89, reported the Michigan Chronicle.
Westgate founded the business in 1952 with one service station, and had acquired 32 stations by the time he retired in 1983. His sons, James and Gerald, continue as co-presidents of the chain, which grew to 52 convenience gas station and 850 employees by 2000.
An outdoor enthusiast and avid hunter and fisherman, Westgate suffered a heart attack while on a fishing trip in Canada.
Westgate is survived by his second wife, LaNeva Westgate, sons James and Gerald, and daughters Carol Gauthier and Rosemary Walter.
Westgate founded the business in 1952 with one service station, and had acquired 32 stations by the time he retired in 1983. His sons, James and Gerald, continue as co-presidents of the chain, which grew to 52 convenience gas station and 850 employees by 2000.
An outdoor enthusiast and avid hunter and fisherman, Westgate suffered a heart attack while on a fishing trip in Canada.
Westgate is survived by his second wife, LaNeva Westgate, sons James and Gerald, and daughters Carol Gauthier and Rosemary Walter.