AFTER TWO decades in Florida education and athletics, a third-generation leader steps into his family’s oil business with gratitude and growth in mind.
Small & Small Oil began in 1947, when Phillip Small’s grandfather, Phillip Small Sr., worked for Sinclair as a “marketer.” Back then, large oil companies operated bulk plants across rural communities, distributing fuel locally through independent managers.
Over time, those corporations began stepping away from the bulk plant model. When Sinclair abandoned its Fayetteville location, Phillip Small Sr. bought it.
What started as a corporate outpost became a family enterprise.
Phillip Sr. and his sons, James and John, built the foundation of what became Small Oil Company. When Phillip’s uncle joined the operation, the name evolved into Small & Small Oil. The business remained rooted in service — delivering bulk fuel and oil to farms, businesses, and families across Southern Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama.
Phillip’s father, John, spent time working in Nashville and Chattanooga before returning to Fayetteville in 1985 to rejoin the family business.
For Phillip, however, running the company wasn’t part of the plan.
He spent the first 20 years of his career in Florida as a high school teacher, basketball coach, and athletic director. Education and athletics shaped his professional identity. Leadership in locker rooms and classrooms became second nature. He built deep ties there — a ton of friends and former players who still keep in touch. Even now, he travels back to Florida four to six times a year to maintain those connections.
Life shifted in 2024.
John began experiencing health issues. Phillip Sr. and Uncle James had both died in 1997, leaving John to run the business on his own from 1997 to 2024. Phillip’s grandmother, Isabell, who owned the company until she died in 2002, had long handled the books. His mother, Vickie Small, later stepped into that bookkeeping role, making the business a true family effort behind the scenes as well as in the field.
On Aug. 1, 2024, Phillip officially began running Small & Small Oil. Eighteen months into the role, he describes the transition with gratitude.
“It’s been nice,” he said. “Very loyal customer base. Nice to be down there when people come in.”
Many of those customers have decades of history with the company. “Some farmers have been coming in for 40 or 50 years,” Phillip said. Some remember his grandfather, Phillip Sr.; others remember his father, John. They tell stories about deliveries made in ice storms and early morning fuel stops during harvest season.
“That’s my favorite part,” he said. The continuity is not lost on him. “We’re very blessed to have customers who have remained with the company for so long,” he added.
Phillip has found that leadership translates across professions.
The shift from athletic director to business owner may seem dramatic on paper, but the core skills are familiar. “It’s fun, honestly,” he said of learning how it functions and leading his team. Whether guiding coaches and athletes or drivers and office staff, the goal is the same — alignment.
“With all the moving parts… you’ve got to rely on your people,” he said.
Fuel delivery is logistically complex. Routes must be scheduled, trucks must be maintained, and weather must be monitored. Customer needs are anticipated. Like a basketball program, success depends on coordination and trust.
Phillip approaches the business with the same mindset he brought to coaching — clear communication, steady expectations, and respect for the individuals carrying out the work.
The return to Lincoln County has also reshaped his perspective.
“Honestly, being gone for so long has made me appreciate Lincoln County so much more,” he said. After years in Florida’s fast-paced school systems, the neighborly, supportive character of his hometown stands out.
“It’s an awesome community,” he said.
That appreciation is sharpened by legacy. Small & Small Oil will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year — “a heck of a milestone,” Phillip said. With that longevity comes both pride and expectations.
“It comes with a little bit of responsibility and pressure,” he acknowledged.
His aspirations for the next five years include growth — more trucks, more employees, and just kind of expanding their reach. But expansion is not the only goal. “We want to be able to do that without sacrificing our level of service and relationships we have with our current customers,” he said.
That balance — growth without erosion — defines his leadership approach.
The business that began as a Sinclair bulk plant in 1947 has survived industry shifts, corporate restructuring, generational change, and the steady evolution of rural economies. It has done so by staying local, relational, and reliable.
Phillip understands that he is not starting something new — he is stewarding something established.
Each time a long-time farmer walks through the door and shares a story about his grandfather, the weight of that stewardship becomes tangible. The past is not abstract — it stands at the counter.
For a man who once thought his career would remain in gymnasiums and administrative offices, the fuel yard now feels like the right place.
The same leadership instincts apply. The same commitment to people carries forward. The setting has changed; the purpose has not.
As Small & Small Oil approaches its 80th year, Phillip Small stands at the intersection of heritage and horizon — grateful for the loyalty behind him and focused on careful growth ahead. GN
