Oil Legacy

J.H. Williams III, who goes by Hulon, can remember visiting gas stations with his grandfather as a 5-year-old boy. Now the 62-year-old CEO of J.H. Williams Oil Co.'s favorite picture is one of his 2.5-year-old grandson sporting a tie while sitting in Hulon's office chair.

The oil company is part of the family's fabric. It has been passed from Hulon's grandfather, to his father, to him. Now Hulon's children, Rosemary Williams Anderson and J.H. Williams IV, are helping manage the company.

Though the core business has remained the same over the last 86 years, it has grown from one service station to 18 company-owned service stations, 200 retail outlets, and two offices — a Bradenton office and the corporate headquarters in Tampa. The 30-employee company boasted $394 million in revenue in 2013, up 3.7% from $380 million in 2012.