LIVERMORE - Berry Hill Fuel, a long-time Berry family oil business, is now owned by another family business, Webber Energy Fuels.

"We've joined forces and merged with Webber Energy," former owner, Tom Berry said. "We came to an agreement and yes, they bought us out."

The sale was finalized Aug. 1.

Berry and his son, Steve, had run Berry Hill Fuel since 1999, when the family oil business which has served the area for more than 41 years was divided between Tom and his son and Tom's brother, Carlton Berry, and his son, Andrew Berry, who own and run Mt. Blue Oil out of their Mt. Blue Agway store on routes 2 and 4 in Wilton.

Tom Berry said his son, Steve, is working for Webber and delivering fuel to the 1,500 to 1,600 customers in the Livermore and Jay area.

The Berrys had bought their oil from Webber Energy's wholesale terminal.

"We got a chance to get out of the business and that's what we did," Tom Berry said. "It's tough for a small company to make it. We liked the business, but we just couldn't capitalize. It takes so much darn money to turn the wheels. It was quite a lot of stress, but it's good to be relieved of it."

The business is in good hands, he said, and Webber Energy will be able to offer more to the customers including a budget program, tank protection and propane delivery services.

Webber is going to maintain the office at Berry Hill Fuel but no oil is being stored there, Berry said.

Webber Energy Fuels was founded as Webber Oil Co., in 1935 by Alburney E. Webber in Bangor.

It initially consisted of four employees and has expanded its services and grown to about 700 employees at its oil and propane companies as well as its gas stations in Maine and southern New Hampshire.

Mike Shea, president and chief executive officer of Webber Energy, said it will continue the same high-quality standards and services that Tom Berry set.

"Berry Hill was one of our wholesale customers. We've had a very close relationship with the company," Shea said, and referred to it as an outstanding company.

The management of Berry Hill will come under Farmington Oil Co., another one of Webber's companies.

Webber's enhanced services includes a 12-month budget program, protection plans to cover heating systems, a monitoring program and a 24-hour call center to help customers if a problem arises. The company also offers bio-diesel.

The same family that founded Webber still owns the company, Shea said.

Webber is very pleased to serve Berry Hill's customers, he said.