History
The first OKKO filling station was opened in 1999 in Stryi, Lviv Oblast, and the first large OKKO filling station with a large shop, cafe and portal autowashing began to operate in Lviv in 2000.[3] While the OKKO brand appeared in 1999, it was created based on several smaller oil and gas enterprises in Zakarpattia and Prykarpattia with the first company "Ivano-Frankivsknaftoproduct" established on 31 August 1993.[3] By the late 1990s the control packages of stock in those organizations was obtained by the Financial and Investment Energy Holding (FIEH) uniting them under one brand.[3]
Since 2002, 55 filling station are operating within the OKKO network and the first OKKO branded filling station was opened in the capital city.[3]
In 2006, the first two large OKKO route complexes – in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv and in Chop in the Zakarpattya region – were opened. The OKKO filling station in Chop entered the Ukrainian book of records as the biggest filling station in Ukraine by area and by amount of services. That same year, the first mobile laboratory for fuel quality control began operating in the network.
In 2007, the first OKKO gas compressor station started operating in Burshtyn, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. The first A la minute branded fast food restaurant was opened at the OKKO filling station in Skole, Lviv region. The new premium fuel Pulls 95 was launched into the market. The company’s market share increased to 7.1 percent – the third highest in Ukraine.
2008: Concern Galnaftogaz joined Go Green Declaration of UN Global Compact. The principles of ‘green office’ were being introduced in the company. This same year it was decided to implement the principles of Accessibility Program (wheelchair accessibility to retail facilities) in all newly constructed and renovated OKKO filling stations.
2009: FISHKA first national loyalty coalition program was launched. First ‘Tobi’ branded stores were opened at OKKO filling stations in Lviv. OKKO took 9.3 per cent of the retail market of petroleum products in Ukraine. Since 2009, the European Bank for Reconstructions and Development (EBRD) became one of the Company’s shareholders. 2010: The new premium diesel Pulls diesel was launched into the market.
2011: The first Pasta Mia branded Italian restaurant was opened at an OKKO filling station in Donetsk region. The OKKO filling station network is operating in all 24 regions of Ukraine and in Crimea. OKKO’s share of the retail market of petroleum products in Ukraine is 13.6 per cent.
2012: The OKKO filling station network operates with more than 360 filling stations. The company strengthened its position in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. It began a major redesign of filling stations. The first device for charging electric vehicles was introduced at an OKKO filling station in Kyiv. Vitaliy Antonov, President of Concern Galnaftogaz, headed the list of top managers Ukrainian companies for the oil industry published by the ‘Top 100’ magazine and was recognized as one of the two top managers in the category ‘Seller and Marketer’.
By 2013, the OKKO filling station network had increased the number of branded filling stations by more than 10 per cent and its market share - to over 15 per cent. The company's plans were to increase its market share by 1-2 per cent and the number of filling stations up to 550 by the end of 2016.
During 2014, the OKKO filling station network opened 13 filling stations and another 19 were reconstructed. 34 charging stations for electric vehicles OKKO Charge were opened at OKKO filling stations. New online processing of OKKO fuel cards maintenance was implemented.
In August 2018 the Security Service of Ukraine searched several offices of the company in Kyiv and Lviv under suspicion of financing pseudo-governments in Eastern Ukraine, the main shareholder of the company Vitalii Antonov denied the accusations stating that the company is not involved in any kind of operations that it is being investigated for and lost 8% of its assets ($80 million) when Donbas and Crimea were occupied by Russia.[5] In May 2019 the company was fined by the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine for price collusion along with WOG and SOCAR.[6]
In 2022, OKKO experienced a loss of $75 million due to Russian attacks, and 13 gas stations remain in temporarily occupied territories.[7]
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, OKKO has served over 4.6 million portions of coffee or tea and 2.7 million hotdogs for free to Ukrainian soldiers at its gas stations in frontline regions.[8]
On June 30, 2023, cars were filled with water and sand instead of gasoline at the OKKO gas station in Lviv. Most of those who refueled with A-95 gasoline at the OKKO gas station on the way out of Lviv in the direction of Stryi suddenly stopped in the middle of the road after a few kilometers of driving. As reported, cars were filled with low-quality 95% gasoline at the gas station. As a result, at least 20 cars broke down. Car owners had to call tow trucks and the police.[9]
