Companies 15
Rory Clarke, managing director of J.R. Rix & Sons, overlooking the company’s Hull fuel depot
Hull-based J.R. Rix & Sons grew turnover by 17% in 2017 with all companies in the Group reporting an improved performance on the previous year.
Group revenue increased by £60m to £407m in the 12 months to December 31st, 2017, with profit remaining stable at just under £5m.
Holiday home and lodge manufacturer Victory Leisure Homes continued to make inroads into the industry, growing market share significantly and increasing sales from £19.5m in 2016 to £26.5m last year. The company was bolstered by the strength of the UK holiday market and the weak pound.
The weak pound also combined with an increase in the price of oil prompting growth at the Group’s inland and marine fuels businesses. Rix Petroleum – the largest company in the Group – increased sales from £272m to £304m and maritime bunkering’s revenue increased from £25.4m in 2016 to £38m in 2017.
Rix Shipping, which manages the company’s shipping fleet and stevedoring operations in Hull and Montrose, saw turnover nearly double across the year from £7.2m in 2016 to £13.6m last year, and the Group’s car and commercial vehicle retailer, Jordans Cars, reported a slight growth in sales from £23.6m to £25.4m.
Managing director Rory Clarke described the performances as solid, adding that much of the growth had come from an increase in the price of oil.
“Overall Group turnover leapt by £60m with all divisions performing well. Although a number of external factors affect the performance of our businesses – the relative strength of the pound, the weather and the price of oil – good governance, keeping a close eye on costs and having a thorough understanding of the environment in which we operate are still key to driving growth.
‘’It is particularly pleasing that once again all the operating businesses within the group made a positive contribution to what was a good year for J.R. Rix & Sons.”www.rix.co.uk
Greenergy has reached an agreement with Oiltanking, a subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls, to purchase an idle biodiesel manufacturing facility located at Oiltanking’s site in Amsterdam. The acquisition of a third biodiesel plant will allow Greenergy to meet growing demand for waste-based biofuel in the UK and Europe.
The Amsterdam biodiesel manufacturing facility was built in 2010 to process vegetable oils but was never commissioned. Greenergy plans to carry out works over the next year to convert the facility to process waste oils rather than vegetable oils and then to add further production capacity.
“Demand for waste-based biodiesel is rising rapidly in the UK and Europe as a result of higher obligated biofuel inclusion rates,” explained Andrew Owens, Greenergy chief executive.
“Over the last few years we have scaled up our raw material supply chains and invested in our UK manufacturing facilities, increasing output through a variety of incremental investments. We are now leveraging these skills and capabilities to develop a third plant.”
Heat Heroes and FPS members look on as Heart of England Foundation’s Jen Tullet (l), holds the cheque for £11,594 alongside Dawn Shakespeare of the FPS
The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) – together with Midlands-based heating oil distributors, AID Fuels, Nolan Oils and Midland Fuel Oil – have been fundraising to help those in fuel poverty and have awarded £11,594 to four National Energy Action (NEA) Heat Heroes Award winners.
Organised by NEA, which works to end fuel poverty in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Heat Heroes Awards aim to recognise individuals who have gone ‘above and beyond’ to help people living in fuel poverty in their local community.
Having raised £11,594 from two years of fundraising events, the FPS and its members asked The Heart of England Community Foundation to administer the funds with the following chosen to receive £2898.50 each.
“We heartily congratulate all the winners of the NEA Heat Heroes Awards 2018,” said Guy Pulham, FPS chief executive.
“We’re pleased that with the help of our Midlands-based members, we’ve been able to raise a significant sum of money. We’re also impressed by the extraordinary efforts made by these four winners and have no doubt they’ll put the money to incredibly good use.”Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau – Natalie French, fuel poverty advisor intends to use the donation to continue to support people through the bureau’s telephone assessment and advice service; helping more people save money on their heating bills and become more energy efficient.Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts – Russell Bosanko, financial capability officer helps people save energy; the money will be put towards staging a number of events and attending community events to provide energy advice and support to those most in need of assistance with fuel bills. Wolverhampton Homes – Alvina Ali, energy and climate change officer will address fuel poverty with a series of initiatives, products and services to help tenants and residents to budget and control energy consumption. Home energy visits are an essential part of delivering a customer friendly solution as they give us the tools we need to help support and protect vulnerable residents living in fuel poverty whilst helping them to sustain their tenancies.Marches Energy Agency – Davina Allen, project manager supports vulnerable clients by finding ways to cut energy bills, looking for good deals and reducing fuel debt – the money will provide additional resources for their independent phoneline service across Shropshire, Herefordshire and southern Staffordshire.
“We were delighted that FPS chose our Foundation to administer these funds,” said Tina Costello CEO of Heart of England Community Foundation.
“The Heat Heroes Award winners have done brilliantly to support those struggling in their communities and we are sure their fine work will continue!”www.fpsonline.co.ukwww.nea.org.uk/award-schemes
Hytek (GB) Limited, which consists of Hytek, IFC Inflow and Anglo Nordic Burner Products, purchased Pumptronics Europe Limited from previous owners, The Premier Group, in May 2018.
Hytek and Pumptronics, which were both established in 1985, will continue to operate in their current locations of Bishops Stortford and North Walsham respectively, and will continue to produce their own strongly identifiable products such as the Hytek Alpha pump range and the Pumptronics Zeon and C-series ranges.
“Hytek is very excited to have Pumptronics join the Hytek group,” said Nicola Stamp, group managing director of Hytek (GB).
“Whilst there is some overlap in both the product line-up and customer base, there are real benefits that joint ownership will bring to both brands.”
“Hytek has been a competitor for many years, however, we can be much stronger together,” said Andrew Olive, Pumptronics’ managing director.
“I look forward to seeing if there’s anything we can adopt that will improve our service levels to our customers. As far as product sales, ordering and manufacturing are concerned, the main message is business as usual.
“I look forward to working with Pumptronics in the future and to supplying both existing and new customers within the market,” added Hytek’s sales director, Andy Seal.
www.hytekgb.com
www.pumptronics.co.uk
CEO William Bannister – MFG is ‘now better positioned to successfully perform as the UK’s number one independent operator’
Top 50 Indies forecourt operator, Motor Fuel Group (MFG) is ranked 6th in a league table of Britain’s one hundred private companies with the biggest sales in the 17th annual Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 100.
Issued on Sunday (8th July), the league table ranks companies by sales as reported in their latest available accounts, or by more up-to-date figures as reported directly to Fast Track by the companies. This year, the 100 companies reached a record £205bn in total sales, up an average of 16% on the prior year, with record total profits of £23.5bn, up by 10%. An impressive 90 companies increased sales in their latest financial year.
“This is the first time that we have appeared in this league table, and to come in at number six is a great acknowledgement of the hardworking performance of the whole MFG team,” said William Bannister, MFG’s chief executive officer.
“Looking forward, I am confident that with our recent acquisition (21 June 2018) of MRH, we are now even better positioned to successfully perform as the UK’s number one independent forecourt operator.”
The league table is sponsored by HSBC, Linklaters and PwC and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events company.www.motorfuelgroup.com
Welcoming the ‘opportunity to increase our customer base’ Ruairidh Beath, regional director for Rix Petroleum at Wynnstay Fuels
Rix Petroleum has expanded its UK depot network into North West England and Wales for the first time in its 140-year history. The acquisition of Wynnstay Fuels, with depots at Waverton, Chester, and Pwllheli, North Wales, was completed by parent company, J.R. Rix & Sons, on Thursday, June 21st.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, brings Rix Petroleum’s national network to 14 depots, ranging from Aberdeen in the north to Essex in the south, and from Hull in the east across to Pwllheli.
Headquartered in Hull, Rix now has depots in all the regions of England and Scotland, as well as one in Wales, for the first time.
J.R. Rix & Sons purchased the business from owners Wynnstay PLC and majority shareholder Jeff Kendrick who said:
“The time has finally come for me to retire but I am delighted to be selling to family-owned business Rix.
“I can see that Rix genuinely care about their customers and staff and I have no doubt that they will look after the customers and staff of Wynnstay.”
Rory Clarke, managing director of J.R Rix & Sons, said the Wynnstay business was a valuable addition to the company’s network.
“There is a lot of synergy between Wynnstay Fuels, which runs a fleet of 8 tankers, and Rix Petroleum in terms of values and commitment to customer service, so when we heard Jeff was planning to retire it made sense for us to look to acquire the business.
“From a location point of view, this acquisition gives us a much stronger foothold in North West England and Wales, so we’re delighted we were able to agree a deal and take over the reins from Jeff.”
Ruairidh Beath, regional director for Rix Petroleum, added: “We already sell fuel to customers in Wales through our local business Rix Petroleum (Mercia) Ltd which is based in Market Drayton. We welcome this opportunity to increase our customer base in the area.”www.rix.co.uk
Group board director Mark Binns presents the winning driver Michael Williams with his prizes
Driver technician Michael Williams has been crowned HOYER Petrolog’s top driver of 2018. Based with the Petrolog Fleet at Stanlow in Cheshire, Michael, who received a £2250 Red Letter Day prize, has worked for HOYER for just over three years.
Last month 14 drivers representing each of the company’s major UK contracts* were invited to the finals which took place at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire where Sigma Studies partnered HOYER in creating the event.
As expansion manager for JET Germany, Soenke Voges was instrumental in bringing more than 100 new sites into the German portfolio within 5 years
To strengthen the brand and drive further growth in JET’s UK forecourt network, the company has appointed Soenke Voges as its new UK retail business manager.
Reporting directly to Mary Wolf, managing director of UK marketing, Soenke will oversee JET’s sales, brand, retail services and transport operations. Soenke was formerly expansion manager for JET Germany where he was instrumental in bringing more than 100 new sites into JET Germany’s portfolio in just five years.
“My initial focus will be on reviewing JET’s UK operations and taking advantage of best practices from our operations in North America and Europe where we have achieved considerable success. Working closely with my highly capable and ambitious teams here in UK marketing, my priority is to develop a future-proof strategy that will ensure JET’s continued growth throughout 2018 and beyond.”
JET has further strengthened its presence in the south east with three new sites Basildon Service Station in Reading, Brookside Filling Station in Hungerford and Postcombe Service Station in Thame, Oxfordshire. The sites which have a combined volume of 5mlpa, have already been reimaged and are being supplied out of the West London Terminal. It is anticipated that volumes will rise considerably under the JET brand.
“The south east is an important growth region for JET,” said Chris Murphy, JET’s retail account manager for the south east.
We don’t currently have many JET sites in Reading or Oxford, so it’s great that we can introduce the JET brand to these new communities. We’re delighted to welcome these new sites to our network and look forward to helping them flourish in the coming months and years.”www.jetlocal.co.uk/jet-fuels/
Going to the ends of the earth to help Borne
Through its depots in Birtley, Hartlepool, Thetford and York, Oil NRG has lent its support to Borne, a medical research charity which aims to identify the causes of premature birth.
Earlier this month a team of 10, including former English rugby player, Will Greenwood MBE, a Sky commentator, Borne Patron and friend of Oil NRG, embarked on a 10-day expedition.
In one of the most extreme tests of physical and psychological endurance, the team traversed the last half degree to the North Pole crossing the frozen ocean to reach the ends of the earth.
The team set a target of £1,050,000 with Oil NRG aiming to raise £2,500 to help save lives, prevent disability and give millions of children the chance of a full life, free of disability. Borne will use funds raised to support its vital research into the causes and prevention of preterm labour and births.
To date Oil NRG has raised over £1,706 of its £2,500 fund raising target.
“We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who has donated so far,” said Oil NRG’s sales director, Jeremy Royle.
“All donations will help – no matter how big or small!”
To support Oil NRG’s fund-raising, please visitwww.justgiving.com/fundraising/oil-nrg
Harrogate’s mayor, councillor Anne Jones, was in attendance at last week’s official opening of the new training and distribution centre which featured a ribbon cutting ceremony by Belzona’s president, Joel Svendsen and a professional bubble blower
Celebrating its 66th anniversary this year, Belzona shows no signs of slowing down with the opening of a brand-new state of the art training and distribution centre.
The Harrogate-based company, which provides industrial protective coatings and repair composites, ran 40 courses in 2017 for over 175 delegates from distributorships around the world. The company still manufactures at its head office in Harrogate and exports to over 160 countries worldwide.
The new £6 million facility will more than double Belzona’s current distribution area floor space, with 12 metres of usable height, adding around 4000 pallet spaces and 166,100 cubic feet of total floor area. The new training area features a fully equipped presentation suite as well as a new practical training/demonstrating classroom, showing Belzona’s continued focus on training and raising global application standards.
“Here at Belzona we believe that training is vital to success,” said engineering director, David Blackwell.
“Training empowers people to meet the demands made of them in the work environment and prepares them for the unexpected situations that life will throw at them. Belzona’s practical training courses are designed to enhance the theoretical aspects of Belzona solutions by placing them in a practical context.
“This is a major investment in the future of Belzona, which will greatly benefit the local community, the distributors from across the globe, as well as the vast number of Belzona users.”
Essar Oil UK continues to invest at Stanlow and has expanded its UK retail network to 46 sites
Essar Oil (UK), which owns and operates the Stanlow Refinery, has announced record figures for the first six months of the financial year ending March 31st 2018.
“Essar is committed to the growth of the UK’s Oil & Gas economy – the Stanlow refinery is a core sector asset of national importance for the UK and we’re extremely happy that it has been delivering consistently robust performance,” said Prashant Ruia, Essar Oil UK’s non-executive chairman.
“Since acquisition we’ve invested more than $800 million and have now started reaping the benefits of this investment.”
The refinery, which produces 16% of the UK’s road transport fuel demand, processed 4.5 MMT of crude, in line with the 4.5 MMT during H1 FY17.
Making good progress on its plans to invest $250 million in capex and maintenance at Stanlow in FY18, Essar Oil UK’s major investment will ramp up throughput, improve yields, drive revenues and increase annual throughput from 68 million to 75 million barrels.
A focus on margin booster initiatives and cost efficiencies has seen a significant improvement in the operating and financial performance during this time.
In FY15 Stanlow was reconfigured and optimised to a single train operation which increased the yield of high margin products such as gasoline and middle distillates.
In addition, the crude slate has been materially diversified with the introduction of many new grades, including four new grades in the past six months.
These major initiatives have resulted in a latest half yearly delta over the benchmark margin of $4.8/bbl, as against under $1/bbl in 2012.Operational and financial performance: Key Indicators
Harvest Energy, the retail division of the Prax Group, has acquired Retail Fuels Limited which owns and operates nine retail forecourts in the UK
Completed in December, the acquisition reflects the Group’s strategic objective to expand its retail footprint and brand presence across the UK marketplace.
Currently operating under the BP brand, the nine retail forecourts are principally located in the north west of England with six in Merseyside, two in Greater Manchester and one in the Midlands. Each site has a quality property offering, which following redevelopment will deliver incremental shop and forecourt revenues.
“UK forecourts have become convenience destinations in many different respects,” said Sanjeev Kumar, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Prax Group.
“Whether it is shopping on the way home in the evening, picking up a quality coffee or snack on the way into work, or even dropping off or collecting parcels, changes in consumer behaviour have presented strong opportunities for companies who are prepared to invest in their forecourt stores and food offerings.
“This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to enhancing our existing estate in the UK and leveraging our expertise in operating high-quality service area offerings with a strong food-to-go focus, which will help attract forecourt footfall. The team will enhance the customer experience by raising standards in-store and on the forecourt services.
“I would like to take this opportunity to convey our thanks and appreciation to all colleagues who supported the successful completion of this transaction, as well as extending a very warm welcome to our new forecourt teams. We look forward to working together to become one of the UK forecourt sector’s most significant operators.”
www.harvestenergy.com
www.prax.com
‘With a sound and stable team of people, who work well together’, Martin and Eoin are ‘looking forward to further developing the business over the coming years’
Martin Cook, UK marketing manager and finance director, Eoin Dilworth are now jointly managing Mabanaft’s UK operation. The move follows Raphael Hüttmann’s promotion to joint head, along with Volker Ebeling, of the Mabanaft Group in Hamburg.
With Raphael having been Mabanaft Limited’s acting managing director for the past five years, now is a good time for these changes to take place.
With three strong years of trading, and a consistently solid P&L, Raphael has achieved his stated goal of refocusing Mabanaft Limited and achieving increased profitability through improved efficiencies in the supply chain.
Martin and Eoin have worked closely with Raphael throughout. More recently, during a transitional period, they have also been fulfilling management responsibilities, so the whole process will be seamless.
Martin has been with Mabanaft for nine years, four of these as marketing manager. He has an in-depth understanding of the fuel industry, a clear and focused approach to business and excellent management skills, and is looking forward to the opportunities that this new role brings. Mabanaft’s sales, supply and operations teams will report to Martin.
Eoin, a highly qualified accountant with twenty years’ experience, has worked as finance director for Mabanaft Limited for five years. He has been involved in all aspects of the business and played a significant role in helping increase profits and reduce costs as well as business exposure. The finance, risk and IT support teams report to Eoin.
“Replacing my role has been remarkably straightforward,” said Raphael.
“Mabanaft always looks to retain skill and re-deploy staff within the group, so appointing Martin and Eoin as joint managing directors made perfect sense.
“Looking ahead, as joint head of the Mabanaft Group I will be available to provide support to the UK operation whenever required.”
“Eoin and I are both delighted and excited to be taking over joint management of Mabanaft Limited, said Martin
“We have a sound and stable team of people, who work well together, and are looking forward to further developing the business over the coming years.”www.mabalive.co.uk/news
Commercial customers in the south east of England will soon be benefiting from an enhanced supply position thanks to Valero’s long-term agreement with NuStar to supply fuel from their Grays terminal on the Thames.
From February 2018, Valero will expand its range of products to include gasoline, thereby providing a full suite of products to its customers at the Nustar Grays terminal.
“By moving to NuStar we’re consolidating our position on the Thames into a single location,” said Mike Lewis, Valero’s vice president product supply.
“And by signing a long-term agreement we’re reinforcing our commitment to our customers and to delivering a reliable service.
“Since moving into the Thames market in 2014 we’ve seen considerable growth, and we’re now building on that position. We will continue to show our flexibility by offering fixed, floating, spot and term pricing. This will be backed up by our experienced and dedicated sales team who can respond quickly and professionally to meet our customers’ needs.
“For our existing customers, the changeover will be seamless, while new customers can be guaranteed to receive a reliable service and quality product, helping them remain competitive in a dynamic market.”
www.valero.com
The Kinneil oil terminal and gas processing plant which is part of the acquisition from BP
The completion of the deal, which also includes the Kinneil terminal, consolidates INEOS’ position as a top ten company in the North Sea and the largest privately– owned exploration and production business operating in the energy basin.
The FPS business is a natural fit for INEOS. Now with the responsibility for a strategic UK asset that delivers almost 40% of the UK’s North Sea oil and gas output, INEOS has further strengthened its long-term oil and gas activity.
The takeover was welcomed by Deirdre Michie, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, who said:
“The Forties Pipeline, which transported 40% of the North Sea’s production last year, is a critical UKCS asset and its integration with Ineos’ assets at Grangemouth is an efficient solution that will help unlock new investment opportunities upstream.”
“This represents another very significant deal for INEOS,” said FPS CEO Andrew Gardner. The acquisition reunites North Sea and Grangemouth assets under INEOS ownership. INEOS is now the only UK company with refinery and petrochemical assets directly integrated into the North Sea and this deal provides the platform to potential future offshore INEOS investments.”
The 235-mile pipeline system links 85 North Sea oil and gas assets to the UK mainland and the INEOS site in Grangemouth.
Ownership and operation of FPS, the Kinneil gas processing plant and oil terminal, the Dalmeny storage and export facility, sites at Aberdeen, the Forties Unity Platform and associated infrastructure has now transferred to INEOS FPS, together with approximately 300 personnel.
A&A is ‘a natural home for the business’ says OHES operations director, Dan Jones
Adler & Allan (A&A) has acquired the specialist environmental consultancy, OHES Environmental (OHES).
OHES, which covers a broad range of specialist and technical areas, including environmental pollution claims, will continue to be led by its current management team as an autonomous business within the A&A Group and operate from its existing locations across the UK.
“OHES is a highly respected environmental consultancy that has built a fantastic breadth of client-focused services over the past 15 years,” said Henry Simpson, commercial director of A&A Group.
“Many of its consultants and specialist teams are already well known to us and we’re delighted to welcome them into the A&A Group, where together we can offer clients a greater range and depth of resources than ever before.”
“We’re delighted to have secured a new home for OHES, as part of a specialist environmental services group,” added Adam Shefras, managing director of hazardous goods and environmental industries at Pen Underwriting.
“We look forward to working with the team which will continue to provide a fully embedded spill response and environmental claims management service as part of Pen Underwriting’s bespoke high hazard insurance scheme, on an exclusive basis.”
“Having known and worked with the team at A&A Group for many years, as both supplier and customer, we’re excited by the great fit our businesses represent,” explained Dan Jones, operations director at OHES.
“OHES has a plan for strategic growth that will be well supported by being part of a wider environmental services group. A&A is a natural home for our business and we look forward to building on our success as part of the Group.”
“Pen Underwriting’s strategic ambition has always been to become a true virtual insurer,” said chief underwriting office, Tom Downey.
“This requires us to focus on, and invest heavily in, enhancing our core services and skills such as technical underwriting expertise, product governance, pricing and analytics.”
The acquisition of Inver Energy raises ‘no competition concerns’ says the European Commission
Under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Inver Energy by Greenergy International was approved by the European Commission last week.
Inver is an independent importer and distributor of a range of fuel products predominantly in Ireland, where it also operates a number of retail service stations. In the UK, Inver operates a fuel importation terminal in Cardiff, from where it supplies fuel oil, gasoil and kerosene.
Greenergy is active in the importation, storage, blending and transportation of refined oil fuels to wholesale customers in the UK, and is the UK’s largest supplier of road fuels. It also produces and blends biofuels.
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. of Canada, a global asset manager, ultimately controls Greenergy. The Commission said the EC concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns because of the limited overlap between the companies’ activities. The transaction was examined under the normal merger review procedure.www.greenergy.comwww.inverenergy.iewww.inverenergy.co.uk
Currently with Phillips 66, Guy Pulham will take over as FPS CEO in February 2018
With effect from 5thFebruary, 2018 Guy Pulham will become the new chief executive officer of the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS). Following the completion of his employment with Phillips 66, Guy will succeed Mark Askew as CEO. Fifty-two year old Guy has almost 30 years’ experience within the upstream and downstream oil industry having gained a degree in economics at Surrey University in 1988. Guy brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the role having previously held several economic, analytical, strategy and sales jobs within Phillips 66 and more recently holding leadership positions encompassing the wholesale and retail sales business channels with additional responsibility in the management of five transport haulier contracts across the UK and the promotion of the JET brand. “The FPS has achieved considerable success and I’m delighted to be asked to use my skills and experience to help the fantastic team at Solihull continue to work very hard for its membership,” commented Guy whose appointment will continue the growth and values of the FPS. “I believe that the most effective representation comes from talking to the members and understanding their businesses and, as a result, knowing what initiatives or support the FPS can provide and what important issues to take to government in order to influence and respond to legislation. “We must also ensure that members are fully cognisant of all that is available to them as FPS members through regular messaging and conferences. The biggest challenge will be trying to find innovative and impactful ways to improve an already award-winning FPS EXPO!” “I am really excited by this appointment,” added FPS president Jodie Allan. “Guy brings to the FPS a results-driven and strategic background with a desire to effectively communicate both on behalf of and with the membership. “His knowledge of the UK fuels market (especially the distributor and reseller businesses in the UK), his transport background and his personal relationships within the industry will prove invaluable in the next phase of growth for the FPS. I look forward to working with him.” www.fpsonline.co.uk
Bill Holmes CEO at UK Fuels which was launched with a single transaction at a truck stop in Birmingham over 25 years ago. The company now processes over three billion litres of fuel a year, as part of a global network of more than 1,000,000 fuel cards across 21 countries
UK Fuels has expanded its fuel card bunkernetwork to over 2,250 UK sites. Having reached the 550–site mark for HGV fuelling, UK Fuels is now the largest independent network in the UK.
Part of Radius Payment Solutions, the network expansion is part of UK Fuels’ strategy to help customers minimise inefficient route deviation and to prevent unnecessary fuel expenditure.
“Our customers are at the heart of our network expansion,” said Bill Holmes, CEO at UK Fuels.
“We remain committed to growing operations in the UK and developing products and services that work together and help us provide the best offering for our customers.”
The network has expanded through creating and maintaining relationships with the top independent site groups, grocers and independent dealers to develop a bunker network that offers a variety of quality fuel sites for its fuel card customers.
When viewed in e-route, the network’s online station locator can reduce route deviation and fuel usage. In the last 18 months alone the network has increased by over 10% as they continue to proactively review locations across the length and breadth of the UK.
“It’s certainly a positive achievement for us to reach 2,250 sites and the 550-site milestone for HGV specific fuel cards, and we will continue to expand this further to benefit our growing customer base.” www.ukfuels.co.uk
Having got stuck into a Tough Mudder challenge to raise money for a local hospice, members of the NWF Fuels team were pleased to be among those presenting a cheque to the hospice on behalf of the NWF Group recently
Last month members of the NWF Fuels team braved rain, mud and obstacles to take part in this year’s 12-mile Tough Mudder challenge held at Cholmondley Castle in Cheshire. The 50-strong team were brought together through the NWF Group’s ‘wellbeing at work’ scheme which encourages staff to participate in activities with colleagues from other areas of the business.
Having been an active supporter of the St.Luke’s hospice in recent years, staff were encouraged to raise funds through Just Giving with a cheque presented to the hospice recently.
“We are so proud of the team and their fundraising efforts will benefit a fantastic local cause close to our hearts,” said NWF Group chief executive Richard Whiting. www.nwffuels.co.uk
Phillips 66 – showcasing the work of the Humber Refinery in a fresh, fun and engaging way, four-year old twins Alex and Tyler who became firemen for the day
In line with the company’s overall ethos of ‘doing things a little differently’, Phillips 66 has broken the stereotype for serious corporate videos with its latest film, which showcases the Humber refinery. The new video sees children and grandchildren of staff who work at the refinery starring in the many roles, including engineers, scientists and IT professionals.
Family of staff sent in audition tapes and when it was too difficult to choose who to feature in the film, the decision was made to feature all the children. In total, 25 children ranging from four to ten years old took part, including four-year old twins Alex and Tyler who became the refinery’s firemen for the day, and five- year old Evan who stars as a refinery panel operator.
As well as providing an overview of structure of the Humber refinery and its day to day operations, the video is aimed at raising awareness of the refinery’s role in supporting community, education and charity projects, and in providing career development opportunities through apprenticeships and training.
“We wanted to showcase the refinery and the work we do, but in a fresh, fun and engaging way,” commented Nina Stobart, communications and external affairs manager at Phillips 66.
“We decided it would be great fun to involve the children and grandchildren of our staff as they could not only come along and see where their mum, dad or grandparents worked, but also offer a fresh take on what can sometimes be seen as a grey topic.
“What better way to connect with audiences of all ages than by giving children as young as four a starring role in this video. Everyone had a great day filming and it was an ideal way to help inspire the next generation of employees.
“The video has already been viewed hundreds of times so it seems to have captured the attention of our customers, industry peers and the local communities surrounding our refinery. Who knows, ten years down the line we may be welcoming some of these children back into the business through our apprenticeships or graduate schemes.” www.phillips66.co.uk
The Millbook Way site in Preston – ‘It is also fantastic to be working with Gavin and Peter Valentine, two very experienced petrol retailers who are long term fans of Gulf, as they look to expand and grow their Petromex business with us,’ said Ramsay MacDonald
Certas Energy has reached agreement with Preston-based Petromex Forecourt Services that will see 13 million litres of retail volume moving to Gulf from Texaco, starting in the next two months.
Two of the sites, Millbrook Way in Preston and Canal Head in Ulverston have been acquired by Certas Energy with a third, Harwood Bar, also in Preston, secured on a long-term dealer supply agreement. The deal strengthens Gulf’s growing market share in north west England and further reinforces the brand’s credentials as a major force in UK petrol retailing.
“These are high quality forecourts and exciting strategic locations that will enable us to showcase the Gulf brand in the North West,” enthused retail director Ramsay MacDonald.
“We believe that under the Gulf brand we can increase volume by at least another three million litres as well as develop and enhance the shop and valeting businesses on site. The sites will look fantastic in Gulf colours and support our growth plans for the region.”
“We hope that any dealer looking to move from their current supplier to future-proof their business will see this investment as further evidence of our commitment to the sector and provide the confidence for them to trust us with their business. Dealers can be assured that development of our dealer offering and the Gulf brand proposition is ongoing to drive new business to Gulf sites and boost retailer margins. We’re also interested in acquiring further sites across the country and our team are ready to progress any interest from Independents and Groups keen to sell or lease their forecourts.”
Certas Energy currently supplies over 700 locations across the UK, including around 500 Gulf-branded forecourts. This latest acquisition signals a major step change as the existing portfolio of sites run by Certas forecourt staff are all located in Scotland.
“Year on year we have been growing our business across the UK and this presented a perfect opportunity to create three flagship Gulf forecourts in the north of England,” added Ramsay.
“We plan to implement changes in the next few months to enhance all three sites in what will be largest single investment in COCO (company-owned, company-operated sites) to date for Certas Energy and its parent, DCC.”www.certasenergy.co.uk
Oil NRG – now open for business across East Anglia
Independently-owned Oil NRG, which already has a major presence in rural areas from County Durham down to Lincolnshire, has opened a new depot near Thetford.
“The new depot will allow us to extend our independent fuel distribution from north Lincolnshire down through Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and in to Essex.” explained Oil NRG’s sales director, Jeremy Royle.
From its Hartlepool base on Teesside, Oil NRG also runs depots near Newcastle and York servicing customers throughout County Durham, Humberside, Tyneside, Teesside and Yorkshire and into Lincolnshire.
“With our new added presence in East Anglia, Oil NRG is the only independently-owned fuel distribution business to have a presence in the whole of the east and north of England, from the Thames to the Tweed,” added Jeremy.
Incorporated in 2007, Oil NRG is now run by managing director Roger Peart, ex-owner of third generation F Peart & Co; established in 1930, the company ran for 80 years prior to its sale in 2010.
“We’re delighted that we can continue to provide a higher level of service to our regional customers,” said Roger Peart.
“And the additional volume will mean we’re more than able to match the buying power of our larger national competitors.”
Oil NRG was recently recognised as one of UK’s most inspiring firms in a high-profile list from the London Stock Exchange Group.
“We’re delighted to have been recognised in this year’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report,” said Jeremy.
“This is a significant achievement with Oil NRG being the only oil distributor to be included. This is testament to the outstanding hard work, experience and professionalism of our whole team which provides great services to our customers. We are now looking forward to the opportunity to deliver the same across East Anglia.”
Having grown ‘significantly and consistently’, the company continues to invest in customer service, communications, vehicles, fleet technology and personnel. www.oilnrg.co.uk
BoilerJuice, which is backed by mid-market private equity firm Livingbridge, has announced the appointment of Lee Cowles as chief executive officer.
Lee, who was previously CEO at Nutmeg, the UK-based online discretionary wealth manager, said:
“It’s incredible to be joining BoilerJuice at a time when they’re on the cusp of unleashing their digital potential. This is a business with a strong track record within the digital space, and I look forward to driving this further.”