FAST vs MPC Comparison

Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal's branch count and remain the firm's main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.

Marathon Petroleum is an independent refiner with 13 refineries in the midcontinent, West Coast, and Gulf Coast of the United States with total throughput capacity of 3.0 million barrels per day. Its Dickinson, North Dakota, facility produces 184 million gallons a year of renewable diesel. Its Martinez, California, facility has the ability to produce 730 million gallons a year of renewable diesel. The firm also owns and operates midstream assets primarily through its listed master limited partnership, MPLX.