From the one and only to a second one and only
State’s lone Black-woman-owned gas station sold to another Black woman
Tom Daykin “Ms. Diane’s leadership and mentoring is priceless; there is no amount of money that could repay this.” Kai Trimble-Lea New owner
Wisconsin’s only gas station owned by a Black woman has been sold — to another Black woman.
The BP gas station and convenience store, at 807 W. Atkinson Ave., just west of I-43, was sold by Stowers Property Holdings LLC, led by Diane Stowers, to Kreeation Enterprises LLC, led by Kai Trimble-Lea.
That’s according to Northwest Side Community Development Corp., which provided an $893,000 loan to help finance the purchase and renovations of the property. The nonprofit group’s loan fund is supported by PNC Bank,
Trimble-Lea is making “significant capital improvements to the pumps and interior of the store,” according to the announcement.
“Based on available data, we believe that this BP remains the only Black woman-owned gas station in the state of Wisconsin,” said the statement from Northwest Side CDC, which leads community development efforts on Milwaukee’s north side.
The sale has been in the works since early 2021, when Raymond Monk, a Northwest Side CDC community organizer, learned that Stowers wanted to sell her business and retire.
Stowers wanted to sell it to another Black person “to keep the representation she brought to the industry alive,” according to Northwest Side CDC.
Executive Director Willie Smith brought Trimble-Lea to the table and a sale agreement was reached.
Stowers, who operated the gas station for 31 years, has stayed involved as a mentor for Trimble-Lea.
“Ms. Diane’s leadership and mentoring is priceless, there is no amount of
money that could repay this,” TrimbleLea said, in a statement, “What she has done for the city and the culture is legendary and should be acknowledged, appreciated and celebrated.”
Trimble-Lea told the Journal Sentinel that her business background includes operating a downtown restaurant, and serving as a corporate consultant at Bank One, which was acquired by Chase Bank in 2004.
She also operates assisted living facilities in the Milwaukee area, and Torch CBD, a store that sells hempderived products, at 3419 W. State St.
Renovations to the station’s pumps and tanks are to be completed soon. Also, the convenience store soon will re-open featuring its new restaurant, Kwik Bitez Kitchen & Grill.
“To see this deal grow organically from a conversation between Raymond and a business owner to a large dollar investment in a historic business is pretty powerful,” Smith said, in a statement.
“It validates our holistic approach to community development and serves as a reminder that being present in the neighborhoods is essential to renewing economic vibrancy in underutilized areas of the city,” he said.