DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 1997            TAG: 9711180421

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MICHAEL CLARK, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   39 lines

UNI-MARTS TO LEAVE HAMPTON ROADS GETTY PETROLEUM PLANS TO OFFER SITES TO INDEPENDENT BUSINESS PEOPLE.

As 1997 ends, Getty Marts will spring up in Hampton Roads where Uni-Marts have pumped gas and coffee for the past six years. And there might be a opportunity for individuals who want to own a small business.

But it's not a buy-out or corporate take-over on the gas station-convenience store scene. It's a take back.

Getty Petroleum Marketing Inc., Jericho, N.Y., owns the 14 facilities in South Hampton Roads operated under Uni-Mart signs. The company leased them for six years to Uni-Marts Inc., State College, Pa., along with 26 other facilities in Virginia and about 100 in Pennsylvania.

From Uni-Mart's standpoint, the move is a give-back.

``It was a rental lease,'' said Uni-Mart spokeswoman Jill Swanson. ``We were leasing them and now we're giving them back.''

Swanson would not say why the company is not renewing the lease.

Uni-Mart will keep the 300 locations it has in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

Once Uni-Mart is completely out of the picture, Getty hopes to lease the facilities to independent business people, said Sam Jones, vice president and general counsel for Getty.

``It's a straight real estate lease,'' Jones said. ``You pay rent for the store and the right to sell gas there.''

The only stipulation is that owners buy gas from Getty, Jones said.

``It's not a franchise,'' he said. ``Owners are free to do what they want.''

The move to smaller operators for its facilities is not a matter of choice for Getty.

``We haven't found anybody of size or magnitude or quality interested in leasing,'' Jones said of Uni-Mart.

If it can't interest small-business owners, Jones said Getty will operate most of the locations and some will close.

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