It simply was a matter of maximizing profits.

"If we close any gas station, (it) is because it is not meeting our financial standards," said Carl Tursi, a Hess corporation vice president and corporate spokesman. "It was just no longer profitable."

Citgo will take over for Hess. Still, the station's overnight disappearance came as a shock to customers.

"It's always been Hess," said Richland resident Frank Santagata. "I've been coming here since it opened 35 years ago. That's when I started driving."

The closing will leave between 15 and 25 people unemployed, Tursi said.

It is standard Hess procedure not to announce station closings beforehand because of potential security problems, Tursi said.

Eighty-six of the 1,163 Hess stations in service between Boston and Florida -- about 7.4 percent -- are in New Jersey. Florida has the most at 342. New York has 256.

Tursi blames full-service laws for the low number of stations in New Jersey.

"The lack of self-service in the area makes it costly to invest in New Jersey," Tursi said. "We have to add extra people to pump the gas."

Hess has not abandoned the state entirely.

A new Hess Express soon will open in Camden. The convenience store and gas station will feature a Blimpie's sandwich shop, TCBY frozen yogurts, pizza, coffee and restrooms.

Die-hard customers of the Buena Hess station can make an 11-mile detour to the next-closest one, located at 2nd and McNeal streets in Millville.

And they'll have to buy their toy trucks there, too.