Hazelford Funding, a small-business funding service in Lebanon, Tennessee, helps gas station and convenience store owners in Wilson County, TN request inventory financing for fuel and store stock, equipment financing for pumps, dispensers, coolers and point-of-sale systems, and term loans for remodels. Partners review fuel and store sales, bank statements and equipment quotes, and set any terms.
| Wilson County, TN stations paying wages | 61 (NAICS 4471), CBP 2023 |
|---|---|
| Stations using ZIP 37087 | 27 on the ZIP 37087 roll, ZBP 2023 |
| Convenience store employers in the county | 15 (NAICS 445120), CBP 2023 |
How a station's money moves
A gas station runs two businesses under one canopy. Fuel brings traffic and volume, with supplier loads paid on the supplier's terms. The store sells packaged goods, drinks, tobacco and food on its own supplier schedule. Equipment ties both together: dispensers, card readers, tank monitoring, coolers, ice machines and the point-of-sale system.
Card-heavy sales mean deposits arrive daily, but processing fees and supplier terms squeeze the timing. Gas station financing requirements reflect that: partners look closely at sales volume and how quickly inventory turns.
Gas stations and convenience stores in Wilson County, TN
Wilson County, TN had 61 gasoline station employer establishments in 2023, with 597 employees and $19.0 million in annual payroll; 49.2% had fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns 2023). ZIP 37087, the main Lebanon, TN ZIP, had 27 of them (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
Convenience stores without fuel are counted separately: 15 employers in the county in 2023, all with fewer than five employees (CBP 2023). Stations without payroll are rare, just 8 in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 4571), a separate program and year.
Fuel and store inventory
A business loan to stock a store or carry a larger fuel load fits inventory financing. Partners want to know what the stock is, how fast it turns and what supplier terms apply. Convenience store financing for a remodel of the store side, new shelving or a food-service counter is usually a term loan or an equipment request.
Gas station equipment financing
Dispensers, EMV-capable card readers, tank monitoring systems, walk-in and reach-in coolers, ice machines, roller grills, POS systems and security cameras are common requests. Canopy lighting and signage can be included where the quote is clear. The equipment financing page explains leasing and buyout options. Fuel system work may involve environmental and permit requirements; confirm those before committing to a quote.
Which station cost fits which funding shape
| Need | Funding shape |
|---|---|
| Tanker loads and shelf stock | Inventory financing |
| Dispensers, coolers, POS, cameras | Equipment financing |
| Store remodel or food-service counter | Term loan |
| Card-heavy sales and a near-term need | Merchant cash advance, collected from card receipts |
Gas station loan requirements: what partners review
- Gallons sold and inside sales, month by month.
- Bank statements plus card processor reports.
- The fuel supply agreement and branding arrangement, if any.
- Equipment quotes and installation costs.
- The lease or property situation and existing debt.
A commercial loan for a gas station is read the same way as other business funding: purpose, cash flow and existing obligations. Partners set their own requirements and do not publish fixed thresholds.
Illustration only: a station replaces two reach-in coolers and an ice machine for a combined $14,500 and expects the larger cold case to add about $90 a day in drink sales. Pairing the quote with that estimate helps a partner see how the equipment supports its own payment. The figures are an example, not an offer.
Food service and the store side
Some stations add prepared food to the store side: hot cases, roller grills, fountain drinks, coffee and sometimes a full kitchen. Food service adds equipment, health permits and staff, and it changes the store's cash cycle because food spoils. A request for a food-service counter should list the equipment, the build-out and the expected daily sales, separately from the fuel side.
Convenience store financing for the store alone, without fuel, works the same way. Partners look at in-store sales by category and how quickly stock turns, and the inventory financing page explains the mechanics.
Card fees, branding and supplier terms
A station's margin depends on the supply agreement, the branding arrangement and card processing fees. Branded stations may have obligations to the fuel supplier, including image standards for canopies, signage and dispensers, which can trigger equipment spending on a supplier's timetable. Have the supply and branding agreements ready, since partners will ask whether they restrict additional financing or require approval.
Per-station arithmetic from the 2023 county count
Dividing the County Business Patterns 2023 totals gives a rough picture of a typical Wilson County, TN station: 597 employees across 61 stations is about 9.8 people per site, and $19.0 million of payroll over those employees is roughly $31,822 a head (our arithmetic, not a published figure). A cashier-heavy payroll like that is paid every week or two, while a tanker load is paid on the supplier's terms, which is why partners ask for both schedules side by side.
A commercial loan for a gas station is therefore easier to read when the file separates three clocks: fuel deliveries, store purchases and payroll. Put each on its own line with its payment date, then show the card batches that cover them.
- Fuel supply invoices and the payment terms printed on them.
- Store vendor invoices for tobacco, beverages and packaged food.
- Payroll registers for the last few pay periods.
- Card processor statements that match the bank deposits.
Related pages
Grocery stores and other retailers are covered on the retail funding page and the industries page. The Lebanon, TN page has every Wilson County, TN sector count.
