NATCHEZ — Two long-time Miss-Lou oil distributors have recently been bought out, but another local company is expanding its market share.

Delta Fuel recently acquired the wholesale business portion of Independent Oil and Coal Company and has leased the bulk plant of the former Cloutier Oil. Another distributor, Victory Properties, recently bought Cloutier Oil.

“I am a wholesale petroleum distributor,” Delta Fuels CEO Clint Vegas said. “I sell to construction, agriculture and the timber industry — everything we do, we do in bulk. We bought all the fuel and oils for (Independent Oil’s) account people.”

Independent Oil Owner Charles Zuccaro said that while the company has sold the wholesale portion of the business, it will remain at its D’Evereux Drive location — where it has been located since 1919 — and will continue to operate its convenience stores.

“We are not looking to move from where we are,” Zuccaro said. “We have six stores, and we are going to expand that within 150 miles of Natchez.”

Vegas said Delta Fuels decided to lease the Cloutier Oil plant so the company could establish a location in Adams County. The ultimate plan for the company is to move to Natchez-Adams County from Ferriday, he said.

“The high water last year gave us a thrill,” Vegas said.

“I had $700,000 worth of oil out there, and you can’t move it. If the high water had hit me, I would have lost it and probably been sued for the mess.”

Delta Fuels will officially take over the Cloutier plant April 1 and has been operating at Independent Oil for the last 30 days, Vegas said.

While being located at the Cloutier plant, Vegas said Delta will ultimately look for a more permanent location.

Until then, however, he said he’s happy to be where he is.

“The bottom line is we have wanted to be here, and we are excited to be here,” he said.