Gas Station Feasibility Study in Maine

Maine fuel stops: small loans stand out

Loan size distinguishes Maine gas station and truck stop lending. The $235,000 median is only 0.22x what gas stations elsewhere typically borrow, while the middle half of loans lies between $150,000 and $434,500. The cell holds 43 approvals worth $22.1 million for FY2017 to FY2026. Maine stands 34 of 53 among states, the class sits 10 of 39 among Maine industries, and the location quotient of 1.05x puts fuel retail almost exactly at its national weight. The median leads this page.

A median this far below the national figure means Maine borrowers are buying small independent stations, upgrading dispensers or financing working capital, not building large travel plazas. Maine gas stations took 30 loans through 7(a) and 13 through 504, and 14.0% carry a franchise. Cornerstone Bank is the one lender at or above 5 loans, with $2.4 million. For a lender, tickets of this size are manageable but depend heavily on the environmental condition of old tanks and on how much of the purchase price is real estate.

Counties and cycles

Cumberland and York counties each have 8 loans, Aroostook and Penobscot 4, and Hancock, Kennebec, Knox and Waldo 3. The spread reaches the north and the midcoast, which fits a state where drivers travel far between towns. FY2022 produced 7 loans, FY2025 produced 5 loans worth $5.3 million, and FY2026 shows 3 loans worth $4.0 million. Maine cancellations reached a floor of 14.3% for approvals through FY2024, with an equal ceiling. A loss rate is not published, because the disbursed group is too small.

Diligence for a Maine station

A study must begin with the site: traffic counts, seasonal visitors against year-round residents, and competing stations. Inside sales and food service often carry the profit, so they should be modeled apart from gallons. Environmental compliance matters, since underground tanks are the largest hidden cost and a baseline site assessment is prudent. Debt service coverage must hold through winter. Because the category follows the borrower's own industry, a travel center looks like a corner station here, and electric charging is missing from the index behind these figures.