Q&A with Sergei Gorloff (Petrosoft): "Data is essential to c-store success"

PetrolPlaza sat down with Sergei Gorloff, founder and CEO of Petrosoft, to discuss their internet-based solutions for gas stations and convenience stores. We also discussed his own personal success story as a c-store owner and operator who now has 18 sites in Pennsylvania.

In many ways the story of Sergei Gorloff is the story of the American Dream. Thirty years after this Russian software engineer arrived in the United States, he has put together a network of 18 convenience stores and a thriving software business for the fuel and c-store industry.

PetrolPlaza travelled to Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) to visit the Petrosoft offices and Market 24 convenience stores. The former Steel City has become one of the biggest technology hubs in the U.S. in recent times. It is here where Petrosoft provides internet-based business solutions for the retail, food-service and fuel marketplace.

Sergei found the speed and dynamism of the gas station business very appealing. As a foreigner in the U.S., he chose efficiency and productivity as his competitive advantages. Seven years after arriving in the country he already had 18 sites.

Sergei needed a system to manage his sites and organize all the data. That is when the idea of Petrosoft came up, creating their first SAS product.

Petrosoft is now an Internet-based back-office software with loss prevention analytics and SmartPOS systems. Their goal is to provide a level playground for small and medium operators through innovation and technology.

“In the petroleum downstream segment, where fuel is the commodity, time is essential to make informative decisions. The availability of accurate and timely data is the major factor for the success of a c-store operator,” explains Sergei.

Petrosoft has the vision of an industry based around partnerships. They have been working with many vendors that focus on data processing as well as with manufacturers, the end users of the data. In recent times they have announced partnerships with Bulloch Technologies, Acumera and Verifone. They are also members of organizations like Connexus and the International Forecourt Standards Forum (IFSF).

“Cloud systems are number one as people continue to work and live remotely. Eventually data platforms like Petrosoft will create the market for data processing and data servicing. Companies will be able to outsource decision-making processes such as inventory handling,” concludes Sergei.

Most Market 24 stores are based around the Pittsburgh area. Together with QwickServe, they offer an online checkout and contactless curbside pickup. The innovative sites act as test centers for many of Petrosoft’s new developments.