Amherst business selling gasoline again after taking stance against high prices

AMHERST, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Last month, an Amherst gas station owner stopped selling gasoline as a way to protest the rising prices, but now, his pumps are back open.

Gas is flowing once again at Ren’s Sales and Service in Amherst after they drained the pumps to take a stand against the hike in gas prices.

In June, when Western Mass News first caught up with owner Ren Gladu, cardboard signs reading ‘No gas’ could be seen taped to the pumps. Now, a full rebranding is underway and soon, Gulf signs will be seen lit up at the North Pleasant Street station.

After 48 years, Ren’s broke their contract with the previous supplier after refusing to sell gas for seven consecutive days. Gladu explained why he did it.

“Hearing my customers that cannot afford to do what most people can saying, I can’t put gas in my car and groceries on my table to feed my kids, that’s what made the difference. I just wouldn’t be part of that,” Gladu noted.

We’re told their new partnership with Gulf allows them to save 25 to 30 cents a gallon for both their customers and themselves.

“Gulf doesn’t tell me where to put the price, that they just suggest what the prices are, and if I want to go along with it, fine, but telling me either put it up or eat it, I’m not going for it,” Gladu explained.

Gladu’s stance against high gas prices went international. He told us they received an outpouring of support.

“We’ve had phone calls from all over the world. As a matter of fact, somebody even called from Africa…We had people from Connecticut, ‘I wanna bring their cars and get service by me.’ They like me because of the stand I took against big oil,” Gladu added.

As part of the new partnership, Ren’s Sales and Service is in the process of switching out their credit card machines, so they’re only taking cash at this time. However, Gladu told us that isn’t stopping his customers from coming back to the station to fill up their tanks.

“They’re not only coming back. They’re willing to take cash out of their pocket to pay for the gas I put in their car,” Gladu said.

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