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INTOUCH
The best route for all the Phillips 66 and JET news
SUMMER 2015
EXCEEDING
EXPECTATIONS
Nicolas Hamilton is appointed as JET’s ambassador for 2015
Special Whitegate Refinery and Irish
feature issue, plus:
LPG; More Train, More Gain; JET Retail Round-up;
Authorised Distributor Update; Our People and more...
WELCOME
NICOLAS
Cover Story
W
e are delighted
to welcome
Nicolas
Hamilton as
our
ambassador
for 2015.
difficulties in the legs, creating constant
stress on the body. In the long term, this
form of CP can produce joint-pain,
physical exhaustion and spasms.
Speaking of his condition, Nicolas says: ”I
just get on with what life presents me
and try to make the best of what I have,
as I know that I would not be the person I
am today without my condition.”
Throughout the year the racing
extraordinaire will be getting
involved in our promotions and
our events representing the JET
brand.
The appointment of Nicolas is a natural
evolution of our recent partnership with
the Silverstone Classic, of which JET are
the Official Fuel Partners. Having met
with Nicolas at Silverstone Classic during
the 2014 race meeting we knew straight
away that he would make an excellent
ambassador for JET, as Nicolas’ ethos
very much echoes JET’s approach to how
we operate.
Pete George, Managing Director of
Phillips 66 UK & Ireland Marketing,
comments: “Despite living with a
challenging and debilitating condition,
Nicolas has made it his life motto to
‘Exceed Expectations’. It is our
continued goal to exceed the
expectations of our JET network, and as
such we are very much looking forward
to working alongside Nicolas over the
next 12 months and to giving our dealers
and distributors the opportunity to find
out more about and be inspired by this
dedicated young sportsperson and
campaigner.”
ONE Nicolas Hamilton
You can do anything
if you put your mind
to it...
About Nicolas
Nicolas is 23 years old and is the halfbrother of the Formula One World
Champion, Lewis Hamilton. Aside from
motorsport, his hobbies include
simulation racing, training, music and
being a keen drummer.
Nicolas has Spastic Diplegia, a form of
cerebral palsy (CP) that is a
neuromuscular condition. Symptoms
include ‘tightness’ or ‘stiffness’ in the
muscles of the lower extremities such as
the legs, hips and pelvis. Symptoms of
this form of CP include abnormally high
muscle tone resulting in lifelong
Nicolas is testament to the phrase of
‘you can do anything if you put your mind
to it’. He continuously strives to
overcome the pain, strains and endless
struggles that are a result of his
disability. He is young, ambitious and
determined, and believes that his
disability will not prevent him from
achieving his lifelong dream of becoming
a successful racing car driver.
With motorsport in the family and
therefore in his blood, but both time and
physical strength against him, Nicolas
never had the confidence to try
motorsport. After years of hard work and
dedication in overcoming his condition in
which he went from being wheelchair
bound to walking unaided by the age of
17, Nicolas’ parents decided to honour
his request to be allowed to race. He was
then given the opportunity to race in the
highly competitive Renault Clio Cup
series. This naturally was a baptism of
fire given that this would be Nicolas’ first
attempt at motorsport, but Nicolas
Welcome
handled the challenges presented to him
with the same dedication and
determination that his disability presents
him with on a daily basis.
Nicolas had a fantastic first year finishing
midfield in the season. The second year
proved a little tougher both with good
luck and bad luck, but Nicolas remains
determined to achieve his dream.
Earlier this year, Nicolas
became the first
disabled competitor
to participate in the
DUNLOP MSA
British Touring Car
Championship
(BTTC) in which he
entered five race
weekends of the
2015 BTTC season,
competing in an Audi
S3 NGTC with AmD
Tuning.
Next Edition
Highlights
from the 2015...
Throughout
2015, Nicolas will help to
promote the Phillips 66 vision of
‘providing energy – improving lives’
and JET’s ‘On the Journey
Together’ theme by
getting involved in JET’s
campaigns,
promotions and
events. He will also
help us to promote
the Phillips 66
core values of
Safety, Honour and
Commitment.
“I just
get on with
what life presents
me and try to make
the best of what
Nicolas commented:
I have...”
“I am really excited to
After proving himself to the world of
motorsport in just two short years,
Nicolas’ ambitions are set high with the
desire of one day racing in the Deutschen
Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), or similar
racing series, to motivate others and
demonstrate that life is for living.
be working with JET and
Phillips 66 as their
ambassador for 2015. There are
many similarities in how we both
approach achieving our goals and
ambitions and also areas where we can
learn from one another. I am certainly
looking forward to developing the
partnership during the year.”
from your
Editor
S
ummer is well
and truly
here, the
weather is
warmer and the days
longer; much like
this, our latest
‘bumper’ edition of In Touch which is
packed full of news and stories from
many aspects of the Phillips 66 and
JET businesses.
This edition features an insight into
the character and characters at our
Whitegate Refinery in County Cork,
Southern Ireland. I’d like to thank
them for their time in helping us tell
their story, as well as their kindness
and hospitality during our visit.
In our next edition
we will feature this
year’s Silverstone
Classic which took
place in July and was
flat-out fun for
families and motor
racing enthusiasts
alike. As official fuel
sponsors, being part of the world’s
biggest classic motor racing festival
at the iconic Silverstone circuit is a
great honour for the JET brand. We
take a look trackside!
I do hope you enjoy this issue and
welcome your comments as well as
hearing about anything you’d like
included in an upcoming edition.
L u cy
Lucy Kelly - Editor
Email: [email protected]
Welcome TWO
IRISH EYES A
Irish Feature
In Touch ventures to the beautiful
Emerald Isle to experience the character
and characters of Whitegate Refinery
A
warm Irish welcome awaited us
once we’d travelled the short
distance from Cork in
Southern Ireland to visit the
Phillips 66 Whitegate
Refinery.
Nestled on the Eastern shore of the scenic
Cork Harbour which lays claim to the title of
the ‘second largest natural harbour in the
world by navigational area’, the Whitegate
Refinery sits, strategically placed, on
Corkbeg Island. Whitegate is Ireland's only
refinery and processes light, low-sulphur
crude oil sourced mostly from the North Sea,
North and West Africa.
There’s an air of quiet calm, almost serenity,
underlying a professionalism that’s
personified by the 150 strong workforce at
this Irish gem. There is very much a feeling of
family, of belonging and being part of a
THREE Whitegate Refinery
bigger picture as the place personifies
teamwork; people make time and give
readily of themselves to help and look out for
each other. After all, refining is a potentially
hazardous business and the genuine care
shown for their colleagues shines through.
As the foremost producer of fuels for the
inland Irish fuels market, there is
undoubtedly a great sense of pride in the
work that is carried out here at Whitegate.
Whitegate primarily produces transportation
fuels such as gasoline, diesel and fuel oil,
that are distributed almost exclusively inland,
with some bi-products of the refining process
exported to other Phillips 66 sites for further
use.
We take a look behind the scenes as we talk
to the people who make Whitegate Refinery
the engaging place it is today.
ARE SMILING
Whitegate Refinery
Whitegate Refinery
FOUR
Irish Feature
“T
he running of an oil refinery
is without doubt a very
important and responsible
task in every respect.
Ensuring we keep the fuel
flowing is crucial to Ireland as a nation and is
not a vocation we undertake lightly,”
explains Dave.
Dave Austin,
Refinery Manager,
gives us an insight
into how Whitegate
Refinery keeps the
fuel flowing...
“Refining is a complicated
business. Each and
every day brings its
challenges, its
dangers and its
rewards; the most
important thing
however, is we do
what we do safely.
Everything else from
that point onwards
matters of course, to
ensure we operate as
efficiently as possible, but
nothing ever compromises our
commitment to safety. We put a lot of
emphasis on doing the small things well.
Health and safety is our top priority; it’s over
a year since our last incident so we have a
very good HSE history. We stop, we ask, and
if we are unsure we don’t do it!”
It’s all about people
“A HIGHLY
SKILLED AND
COMMITTED
WORKFORCE”
FIVE Whitegate Refinery
“We are very lucky at Whitegate to have a
very skilled and committed workforce and I
think it is important to acknowledge their
professionalism and dedication in ensuring
our operation is safe, productive, and
profitable.
“Our people have special competencies and
a vast array of experience in refining. From
economists, planners and logistical experts,
through to chemists and maintenance
engineers, there are many skills at hand
round the clock.
“We’re very relationship led. We’ve been very
fortunate to have lots of people who’ve been
with us for many years which builds trust and
understanding. Such experience and
reliability is vital in a tight-knit team-based
environment such as ours here at Whitegate.
We’re very keen for open dialogue, keeping
people involved and informed; whether that
be staff or customers alike.
“Whitegate is a niche refinery and is the only
crude oil refinery in Ireland, supplying over
40% of Ireland’s transport and heating fuels.
Our facilities here have seen substantial
investment over recent years and our focus
is on primary distillation.”
Whitegate Refinery
Refining in a nutshell
“When crude oil is heated, the lightest
hydrocarbons rise and boil off as vapours
first and the heaviest last. The vapours are
then cooled and condensed back into
liquids. We turn the light products into the
‘white-fuels’ people use every day. Our
straight run atmospheric residue, or in
layman’s terms the heavy or more viscous
residue is then sent to other Phillips 66
refineries for further processing; namely
the Bayway Refinery, located on the New
York Harbor in Linden, New Jersey and the
Humber Refinery on England’s east coast.
Both of these plants have some of the
world's largest fluid catalytic cracking units
which set them apart from other refineries.
“On the other hand, as a ‘niche’ refiner, we
do have certain advantages over bigger
more sophisticated plants, namely, we can
‘flex’ our throughput, changing the number
of barrels we produce depending on
demand. We’re very responsive to the
marketplace as we can adapt very quickly
both up and down ensuring we always
match inland demand.
“Over recent years, the refining business
has become more and more volatile. Since
2008/09 when the market dropped 30%
because of the recession, we’ve picked up
a higher share of supply in Ireland. This is
also a reflection of the tightening of supply
in the UK. With such market fragility, it was
valuable being part of a ‘bigger system’
under the Phillips 66 umbrella, as it gave
us the confidence and support we needed
during difficult times. There has been
steady progression over the last three or
four years and at the moment
we’re seeing the euro/dollar
exchange rate go in
our favour
Whitegate - a brief history...
Whitegate has had a varied and interesting past, sometimes a
turbulent one, as its strategic importance to the Irish fuels
market has ebbed and flowed, akin to the political and
economic landscape of the country.
From its construction in 1957 and commissioning in 1959 it
was owned and operated by a quartet of major oil companies
of the day until its sale in 1981 to the Irish Government, who
ran the plant for nearly two decades.
which contributes to us making more
money. Recently, 2012 was our best year
and 2015 is looking good so far.
“As a business we are an integrated
environment and we very much focus on
and talk about the full value chain. I’d
therefore include both the Commercial
department in London and the Marketing
function in Warwick as an integral part of
our support network. Servicing and
expanding our existing customer base and
finding new business opportunities is
made possible for Paul Barrington, our
Business Development Manager, by
utilising these great relationships within
the Phillips 66 organisation.”
Our future
“We’re just about to enter our long range
planning phase in a much better business
environment than last year. We continue
to work with the Irish Government to be
recognised as critical to security and
diversity of oil supply in the upcoming
Energy Policy.
“In December 2014 we had a
re-organisation and are now more focused
on optimisation, becoming as efficient as
we can be in everything we do. So, we’re
very much looking forward to the
future of Whitegate,” signed
off Dave.
In the summer of 2001, the Irish National Petroleum Company
sold Whitegate to Tosco Corporation. The acquisition of Tosco
by the Phillips Corporation and the subsequent mergers of
ConocoPhillips and their division of marketing and refining
operations leads us to today, with Whitegate being wholly
owned by Phillips 66.
We have a contractual agreement in place with the
Government to keep Whitegate operable until July 2016.
Phillips 66 continues to look for ways to enhance the returns
from Whitegate Refinery.
Whitegate Refinery SIX
Irish Feature
Refining,
‘crudely’
put, is just
boiling oil,
right?
the first sixteen years of my career in oil.
After graduation I worked in various
locations for GE such as Quwait, Abu
Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Nigeria, India,
Australia, Egypt, Congo and the USA. I
then joined Shell in Ireland, but soon
ended up in Istanbul for five years.
Following that I worked as an internal
consultant in road transport covering
practically every country in Europe too!
“I Joined Conoco in 2003 and helped
expand the customer base from the eight
original mandatory customers following
Whitegate’s period of Government
ownership to fulfil our aim of becoming
the premier Irish inland fuels supplier.
After a few hiccups we achieved this
ambition in 2008. The UK & Ireland
Marketing (UKIM) / Whitegate Team won
a Spirit award for this in 2009, a
recognition we were all rightly proud of.”
Internal and external
S
imple. Source a
job lot of crude oil,
put it in a tank,
add a bit of heat
and ‘hey presto’,
out comes fuel for
our cars, home
heating oil, and all of the other fuels
we take for granted in our everyday
lives. Well actually, there’s a little
more to it than that...
Paul Barrington, pictured
right, in his role as
Business Development
Manager for the Irish
Market tells us why there’s
far more than ‘boiling oil’
going on at Whitegate
Refinery.
“My role is quite unique as
I’m the interface or
SEVEN Whitegate Refinery
“We are very lucky at
Whitegate to have
some wonderful
people working
here, many of
whom have
many years
of service
and are very
experienced
in what they
do. My job
has both an
internal and
external
element to it:
internally, I am
based at the
refinery where I have
good long-standing
relationships with many of the
refinery staff which is important when we
need to work flexibly to meet our
customers’ demands. The ‘external’
element of my job is where I look after my
Irish customer base while seeking out
new business opportunities. I also liaise
closely with other Phillips 66 business
units, especially UKIM based in Warwick
and Commercial in London.
Running
a refinery is a complex
business . We take a look
at what’s involved as we
talk to some of the people
that make Whitegate
tick...
connection
between
many, if not all
aspects of
the business.
There are so many
functions and processes
that have to be gone through to
convert the crude that arrives on our jetty
into the fuel we all use every day; in fact, in
any detail it would more
than fill this whole
publication many times
over; but in talking to some
of the people who work
here we hope to give you a
flavour of what’s involved.”
Well travelled
“I am a mechanical
engineer by profession
and worked abroad for
“I sit on the Refinery Leadership Team
(RLT) at Whitegate and my role allows me
to see the bigger picture, balancing the
needs of our customers with the complex
nature of producing the fuels they need
when they need it; from a production,
Whitegate Refinery
supply and logistical standpoint. I think it is
important to challenge the status-quo so we
are flexible and progressive in our approach.
Being a ‘niche’ refiner we must be eminently
flexible to stay competitive.”
The Irish Marketplace
“Ireland is a net importer of fuels, so being
the only refinery in Ireland it makes little
sense to export what we make here at
Whitegate; so I sell to the inland market
adding value wherever possible. Our
business model is mainly business to
business wholesale. A good knowledge of
Going
with the
flow
E
nsuring a timely and sufficient
amount of crude flows in and
surprisingly enough, a timely
and sufficient amount of
finished product flows out of
Whitegate is the responsibility of Production
Planning Lead, Suzanne Broderick.
The inputs and outputs challenge is one she
meets with relish on a daily basis along with
Scheduler Kevin Maye. Together they plan
and schedule all of the
product movements
over the refinery with
their respective teams
working closely to
decide what the
refinery is going to
make to meet their
customers’ demands.
Suzanne, a Chemical
Engineer by trade, first
came to Whitegate 15
years ago. Born in the
USA, she was working
for a company based in
Chicago who were
building a ‘plant’ in
Ireland to upgrade
gasoline quality. Initially a three month stay
was envisaged but they subsequently asked
the Irish market coupled with good
relationships with our customers is essential
for our business to continue to be
successful. The past few years have seen
periods of volatility, recession, competitor
terminals opening up and the oil price
fluctuate, all causing periods of uncertainty.
“However we continue to lead the way and
win new business, such as the large
contract we secured with Topaz in 2012,
delivering to Dublin; with over 330 stations
across the country, Topaz is Ireland’s largest
fuel and convenience brand, and continues
to grow its volumes. I am constantly on the
look-out for new opportunities and there’s
her to stay here for one year to upgrade the
control system. She loved the culture here so
much she decided to stay, got married and
did the ‘family thing’. Suzanne’s husband
works in the Advanced Controls Group at
Whitegate.
Buying crude is far
from crude
In fact, it’s an exact science! Suzanne
explains: “To the layman, crude oil is just,
well, black liquid used to make fuel. In
actual fact crude is a very complex entity in
its own right. In 2014, we brought in 14
different crudes; primarily from the North
Sea, North and West Africa and Canada.
Crudes vary in their characteristics, for
example some are light, some are heavy,
some are high in sulphur or are acidic. The
chemical makeup of the crude dictates the
yield and quality of products that are
produced. Some of these crudes can be run
neat, meaning you can put them in the
crude tower to refine as they stand;
whereas some of them you can only run as
blends with another crude so the
combination has the right properties to
produce the on-grade products we require
as an end result of refining them.
“We must predict exactly how the crudes
will be broken down across the various units
in order to optimise the whole operation.
My role is biased towards the economics side
of production planning. I consider a whole
load of different crudes, rank them and then
select the ones we should buy; but
sometimes they’re not always available. I
look at prices and logistics, consider the cost
to buy the crude and what products it will end
up making to maximise revenues. The prices
certainly no chance to put my feet up and
take things easy in this job.
“The support I get from UKIM at Warwick is
invaluable in enabling me to ‘spread myself’
across all the different aspects my job
entails, as they ensure day-to-day operations
run smoothly, allowing me to focus on
strategic projects, and therefore furthering
our Irish business as a whole.”
So, that’s the marketplace in a nutshell, let’s
look at how it all happens at Whitegate and
see what goes on here each and every day.
First of all we need to source the crude oil
the refinery needs...
change daily, so I have to follow the global
crude market and its economic fluctuations
closely. From there, Kevin and I consider
timings and cargo sizes, all of which matter so
that we have the type of crude we want in the
right place, to make the product that Paul
Barrington’s inland demand calls for.”
Working closely
“The planning operation is the starting point
of what happens here at Whitegate. The
decisions we take have a direct impact all the
way down the line to the end user. It’s
important to remember we are a refinery not
a depot, therefore we want to get the crude in
and refine it into the seven different products
we manufacture here and get it off site and
on the way to our customers as soon as
possible. Of course when we are talking
millions of litres in and out and bearing in
mind demand can fluctuate daily, then there
has to be some ‘give’ or ‘flex’ in the system. If
we have too much of any one product we can
export it. That’s where the Commercial team
in London come in to play as I’ll call them and
they will find a home for it. If we are short of
product or the demand is high inland, once
again I call London and get more of it
imported. Whitegate is lucky that it has the
facilities to import and export but again that
needs careful management as there is only
so much tankage or storage to work with. My
job is a ‘juggling-act’ and I couldn’t work
efficiently without the ‘cast’ in Commercial,
Technical, Operations and Marketing who are
all stars in the production here at Whitegate
Refinery!”
Next up, we see how all of our product is
moved in and out of the refinery with
Scheduler, Kevin Maye...
Whitegate Refinery EIGHT
Irish Feature
‘Maye-be’ on
schedule!
W
hitegate is classed as a
small (but beautifully
formed!) refinery. Even
so, it processes 71,000
barrels of crude a day...
that’s 26 million barrels a year!
Kevin Maye, Scheduler, ‘moves’ all of that
product into the refinery and then out again in
terms of the finished product; or he has to
store it on site. Together with Suzanne
Broderick and the Production Planning Team,
they decide what the refinery is going to make
based on the forecasts from the Marketing
function of the business.
To achieve the smooth running of this
complex operation he needs to liaise with
many people, in fact communications plays a
big part in Kevin’s role and he is almost
always talking to a myriad of people to
schedule and plan all of Whitegate’s product
movements.
From the Commercial operation in London, to
the refinery technical and operations groups
‘in-house’ to external companies, including
customers, shippers, charterers, port
authorities, road transporters and a host of
others, Kevin is one busy man.
Big numbers...
Kevin gives us an insight into his
responsibilities and the huge numbers
involved: “Once Suzanne and I have sourced
and ordered the crude it arrives over our jetty.
268 ships came in and out of here last year
and whilst ships vary in size, a typical crude
ship brings in 630,000 barrels of crude. Over
the course of last year, 25 ships left our jetty
containing Straight Run Atmospheric Residue
(SRAR) to go to our sister refineries in Humber
and the Bayway Refinery in New York, the
parcel sizes being 30,000 and 55,0000
metric tonnes respectively. Our SRAR is very
high quality for coke production which is ideal
for the catcrackers at these Phillips 66 plants.
“From our small berth jetty we also had 123
coastal movements in the last 12 months.
We supply the Topaz terminal in Galway on a
NINE Whitegate Refinery
continuous shuttle basis, every two or three
days. Typically these coasters carry 4,000
tonnes of mixed product. Our coastal berth is
also used to supply small cargoes to refiners
and customers on the UK’s west coast. We
also import biofuels, FAME & Ethanol on the
coastal jetty along with additives for diesel
and gasoline blending.
“There were a further 51 ocean movements
last year, all 10,000 tonnes and upwards. The
majority of these sales were to Dublin for the
inland market although we also sent a
number of vessels to the UK west coast and
France, supplementing some of the London
Commercial business. We supply London
when they are short and we have an excess
of product. We also import large volumes of
Kerosene in winter months to match
seasonal demand.
“From a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
perspective, we had 28 jetty movements to
our caverns in Immingham and the
petrochemical industries in Rotterdam with
each vessel carrying 1,100 tonnes. As well as
supplying these LPG customers, 70% of our
total production is sold by pipeline and truck
into the Irish market.
“We also move a lot of product through the
road loading gantry, or rack. We are talking
45,000 trucks a year to 45 different
customers, collecting 100 million litres or
more. Broadly speaking, these customers
come and collect their product rather than
us deliver.”
Kevin has worked at Whitegate for 33 years
having started in operations at the tender age
of 19. Over the years, he then moved into the
shipping/scheduling/planning departments.
Kevin was born and lives in Cork and
commutes the short distance daily. His father
worked at the refinery doing the same job
that Kevin does now and many people he
communicates with still remember his father.
When it comes to scheduling there’s no
‘maybe’ about it as Kevin gets the job done,
moving a staggering 26 million barrels a year!
Talking of big numbers, profiled next, Erik Gille
tells us why everything that counts needs to
be counted...
E
Whitegate Refinery
rik Gille, Finance Lead, tells
us why ‘finance safety rules’
at Whitegate: “Our culture here
is quite rightly ‘safety first’. It is
not only my team’s job to ensure
the financial safety of the refinery, but to
ensure we add value to the
operation as a whole by
integrating the finance
function into the
mindset of
everyone here. In
doing so, we
hope their dayto-day decisionmaking
considers the
underlying
financial
implications of
everything they
do; we ensure the
finance rules are
enforced and adhered
to in a similar way to how
people behave in respect of the
HSE safety rules.
“Finance is an
integrated part of
the business - if you
dig deep enough, the
numbers tell you
what’s going on...”
everyone here made me very welcome from
the outset three years ago. It’s a very friendly,
open environment with honest up front
dialogue; people don’t hold back and are
willing to question you, which is a healthy
thing. My working life has always been
involved in finance. My first ever job was at
Conoco in Hamburg, where I was born and
bred; I spent six years there in various
‘number crunching’ roles before venturing
further afield with a short term assignment in
Counting the beans
and more... from
Hamburg to Cork
“We work closely with Procurement,
Production Planning, Maintenance and most
other facets of the business in some way or
another. We help them to understand their
budgets, as once you consider what lies
behind the payments coming in and going
out, those numbers tell a story, what’s going
on and help you see the bigger picture of the
refinery’s activities.
“As a member of the Refinery Leadership
Team (RLT), I feel empowered to get out and
about more, speaking to colleagues and
engaging with them as well as promoting the
safety aspects of the business. While finance
is my day-to-day life, I feel that the other
responsibilities that come with being on the
RLT are important and I enjoy the variation it
brings to my day-job.”
A warm welcome
“Even though I could be perceived as ‘the
bad boy’ for questioning people about
budgets, expenditure and their expenses,
Prague, followed by three years in London.
Having returned to Hamburg, three years
later I was offered the chance to move on
again, to Whitegate.
“I was keen to start a new chapter in life,
accepting the role here gave me the chance
to experience a whole new culture as well as
meet and work with some great individuals.
It’s quite fascinating coming here and seeing
the refining side of the business having
historically worked predominantly within the
Marketing function of the organisation.
“When planning our move here one of my
wife’s conditions was that we live in Cork as
we are used to living in an urban world,
stepping out into a hub of shops, bars and
restaurants. Ireland is very beautiful and we
travel as much as possible to see what this
wonderful country has to offer us. We like it
here very much and certainly intend to stay
as long as they want to keep me here!”
We go ‘operational’ next...
Whitegate Refinery TEN
Irish Feature
SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS,
O
A look at the operational side of the refinery
perationally the
refinery runs twenty
four hours a day,
seven days a week,
thanks to a team of
‘orange-clad’
experienced experts.
James Cahill,
Shift Manager
James first stood on the
refinery floor almost
40 years ago,
following in his
father’s
footsteps.
After
working
away from
the
refinery for
a brief time
following his
apprenticeship, he
returned in 1980 as a
Mechanical Fitter. A number of projectbased roles later, including the building of
the road loading facility, James moved to the
process side of the business, latterly
becoming Shift Staff Relief. Following the
ELEVEN Whitegate Refinery
re-organisation towards the end of 2014,
James was promoted to the role of Shift
Manager.
He tells us what his responsibilities entail:
“The Shift Manager’s role is more of an
overview role and is less hands-on than it
had been previously. It’s more about
planning, looking after the products,
ensuring they’re on grade as well as dealing
with some customers and any personnel
issues. The Shift Managers now work in the
administration building so they have closer
interaction to the other departments.
“There are five Shift Managers in total at
Whitegate plus another staff member who
provides shift relief. I work two 12 hour days
then two 12 hour nights and then have six
days off.
“The Shift Manager is without a doubt, the
‘go-to person’ and the central contact for
people to liaise with, getting involved with all
aspects of the refinery. The job is very
multifaceted and in the silent hours (nights
and weekends), the Shift Manager has
overall responsibility for the plant. It is
important for the Shift Supervisors to sit
back and see the bigger picture, assess and
deal with incidents appropriately, bringing in
extra or specialist resources where
necessary. We have regular meetings where
the guys get together and discuss optimising
what we do as well as carry out test incidents
to plan for an emergency. We also control,
oversee, manage and fine tune refinery
operations as well as train and enable our
colleagues... the list is endless. It is however,
a very rewarding ‘shift’!”
Paul O’SullivanHourihan,
Shift Optimiser
Paul started working at Whitegate in 1990
as a Process Operator on the jetty and has
been a supervisor for 14 years now. He splits
his time, six months of the year as staff relief
Shift Manager and then the other six months
as Shift Optimiser.
He explains: “In the Shift Manager role as
James detailed, you have the responsibility
for the whole plant, but in both roles you’re
responsible for the smooth running of the
plant; from the point where we bring in the
crude on the jetty, through to the making of
the product and it leaving the refinery gate
ready for the end user. I suppose as the job
title ‘Shift Optimiser’ suggests, the primary
job function is to make sure we are
extracting the maximum we can draw from
each barrel of crude, in order to maximise
Whitegate Refinery
OPTIMISING THE PLANT
the return. We do
this by adjustment
of the plant,
‘optimisation’ is
the buzz-word.
That means
adjusting
pressures,
temperatures
and flows by
employing basic
chemistry so that the
product is 100% on ‘spec’
but produced as efficiently as we possibly
can. Laboratory testing determines the
quality of the product and that information is
relayed to ‘production’ so we can always run
at our optimum level.
“There’s always a challenge and something
different to address which keeps it
interesting.”
Ronan Stewart, Plant
Performance
Lead
A born and bred
local, Ronan
was educated
in Chemical
Engineering at
the University of
Bath. After
graduating he
worked for BP at
Grangemouth and London for ten years,
before he and his wife decided to jump ship
and come home where thankfully there was
a job available at the refinery. He tells us
about his latest role of Plant Performance
Lead:
“This is a new team on site, formed after the
Refinery Leadership Team got together last
year to discuss how we could increase the
performance of the refinery and the people
within it, looking at cross-functional
performance; getting the most from the
people and assets we have.
“Our role is to take the economic plan that
Suzanne Broderick and Mike King developed
and ensure the plant is organised to meet
that plan; maximise yield, using the least
amount of energy possible to make the
petrol/diesel/gas oil; at the same time
reducing wastage. Our focal point is on
people and safety to enhance know-how and
knowledge. We are developing our people
skills and giving them the tools to make
optimisation decisions, funnelling all our
knowledge down, so the Shift Optimiser
can make the right decision at any time
of the day or night.
“As yields are good and energy
usage is down, this initiative is
having a very positive effect so far.
In essence, Whitegate’s efforts to
maximise and utilise all of its assets
to become a high performing
organisation are coming to fruition.”
Darren
Frahill, Plant
Performance
Distillates
In July 2009, Darren started
as a graduate having spent a
summer at the refinery as a
student, just as the ‘once every five
years’ refinery shut-down was starting. This is
a huge task and facilitates essential
maintenance and process improvements.
Darren says: “I got a far better understanding
of how we make the products and the ins
and outs of distillation. There’s no doubt it
was in at the deep end, but I learnt a lot in a
short space of time!
“These days my role involves running the
crude distillation unit, being responsible for
the production of diesel, gas oil and
kerosene. The technical group are the bridge
between the planning and economics
department, who tell us what they want, and
the operations department, who tell us what
we can produce. My team then safely
maximises what can be achieved in terms of
distillate production with the equipment we
have. Producing as much clean product yield
from the crude is ‘technical’s’ ultimate goal,
but we also produce feedstocks for Humber
and Bayway refineries, which means the
company benefits holistically from such a
strategy.”
Whitegate Refinery TWELVE
Irish Feature
The next generation
H
owever experienced and able
these ambassadors of
Whitegate may be, they will at
some point, albeit reluctantly,
succumb to the lure of the
golf course, rose pruning or shopping with
their other half; in other words retire! Career
opportunities are abound within Phillips 66
and succession planning is fully in place at
Whitegate. We talk to new recruits Maria
and Andrea.
Here come the girls...
Maria McShane
As a Graduate Process
Engineer, Maria
started her
Whitegate career
under the
guidance of John
Ahern who is the
Gasoline Lead.
He is in charge of
the Power Former
and ISOM units (they do
isomerisation reactions).
John has taken a step back and has let
Maria run the unit, a big responsibility but
one he feels she has the skills to realise,
commenting: “It’s a great career move for
Maria, let her go for it I say, she can cope!”
Duties include targets and optimisation
using G DOT, a new optimising control
system which calculates the best way the
plant should be run. She also liaises with
the main control room, while
troubleshooting where necessary.
THIRTEEN Whitegate Refinery
Maria adds: “I’ve learnt so much so quickly
and everyone here has been wonderful. I
really enjoy what I do and am looking
forward to expanding my horizons in the
company, maybe travel and expand my
people and managerial skills.”
Andrea
Doherty
Andrea is a
graduate of
University
College
Dublin with a
degree in
chemical and
bioprocess engineering.
She says she was always fascinated by the
oil industry and wanted to work in it.
Being on the graduate scheme like Maria,
Andrea was given a lot of responsibility but a
lot of support as she joined the Plant
Performance Team. Andrea was on the
crude unit for the first couple of months,
followed by a spell in design engineering.
She says: “There are so many experienced
people at Whitegate and they really give me
and Maria time and try to impart their
knowledge.”
Andrea says she wants to get to know the
refinery industry really well and build on her
knowledge, remaining in a technical role;
and she’d like to gain experience in the
commercial aspect of the business too. “I
really do like the refining industry,” she
concluded.
LEADI
L
ast but by no
means least
we talk to Mick
O’Connor,
Technical
Manager at
Whitegate. A man who has
proven it is possible to multi-task!
Talking technical
Mick’s duties at Whitegate are quite
broad, as his considerable knowledge and
experience are brought to bear in heading
up all things technical at Whitegate. Mick
leads what is, in his own words, ‘a
phenomenal team of experts’, who ensure
Whitegate runs safely, smoothly and to
optimum efficiency; in fact, Mick says he
listens to their advice!
Mick and his team look after everything
from process design, optimisation and
plant performance, to electrical
engineering, Advanced Process Control
(APC), the laboratory, HSE, electrical and
inspection engineering services. He has
to be absolutely sure that every drop of
product that goes out of Whitegate is on
grade, and the process that facilitates that
manufacturing process including the ongoing inspection of the piping and assets,
ensuring all are fit for purpose.
Undoubtedly no small task, however
Whitegate Refinery
there’s more than one string to Mick’s bow
as he now spends a good deal of his time
away from Whitegate as one of the
company’s leading experts in our hugely
successful supervisor training programme,
Leading the Vision.
Leading division?!
training supervisors. Back to square one you
may think, but no; wisely they grabbed the
initiative and asked Phillips 66 Refinery
Managers to select a supervisor with many
years of experience to collaborate and solve
the problem.”
Locked in a room
4. Emotional intelligence – the difference
between this and basic intelligence;
emotional intelligence plays an important
part of everything you do.
5. Communication – the rights and wrongs;
particularly favoured towards active
listening; teaching people to say less and
listen more.
6. Partnering for performance –
methodology for having conversations
with people with the idea of increasing
their competence and passion in what
they’re doing to get leaders engaged.
NG THE VISION
The above phrase sounds kind of wrong
whatever way you consider it! We certainly
thought so as we sat down with Mick who
began to explain what ‘Leading the Vision’
was all about. Of course, we hadn’t factored
in the broad Southern Irish lilt, spoken at
some speed and as such, ‘the vision’ blurred
into acoustic ‘division’, but we were soon on
the same page as Mick.
“Dave Austin asked me to represent
Whitegate and so we were ‘locked in a room’
in San Diego and asked to develop a course
with the Ken Blanchard Consultancy,
leaders in organisational change; the task
being how to train our supervisors so they
can lead the company into the future. With
the inspiration of the Blanchard team and
our industry specific knowledge combined
There’s certainly no division in the industryleading Phillips 66 supervisory training
programme of which Mick is an instigator
and lead facilitator. So much so that hidden
away (being a humble kind, more willing to
sing the praises of others than his own), on a
filing cabinet in his office you can find a
coveted Phillips 66 ‘Golden Shield Award’ as
recognition for the overwhelming success
and acclamation the programme has
received.
we drew up what has proven to be a winning
formula. Designed by Phillips 66 people for
our own in-house use, it trains supervisors
who operate refineries, pipelines, terminals;
in fact any infrastructure based personnel.”
Mick tells us about ‘the vision’: “When
Phillips 66 was ‘born’ in 2012, management
within the new organisation asked
what we can do to make us stand out from
our peer group. The underlying factors they
considered were that in this industry we’re
all broadly making the same fuels, to the
same specifications, from the same crudes.
Surely then the only way to distinguish
ourself is through our people. The rationale
then followed that even if Senior
Management had a fantastic vision of
excellence for the company, getting that
mantra to filter down through the
organisation was going to be a challenge.
“It was decided that the ideal people to push
this forward were our supervisors, so
management went round and spoke to
many supervisors, asking them what their
needs were, with a view to implementing
their responses. However, there was a good
deal of inconsistency in the answers they
received. Ironically this identified a gap in
Seven modules, three
days...
“Specifically the modules considered are:
1. The role of a leader – how you add energy
or drain energy as a leader; very
interactive and all about reflection.
2. Situational leadership – this is a
proprietary leadership tool developed by
Blanchard. Phillips 66 bought the rights
for us to teach it; looking at every task that
a person does and diagnosing the
development of that person to meet the
needs of the person. It’s being used by
70% of the Fortune 500 companies and
is a tried and trusted method, taking a
whole day of teaching on how to be
flexible in your style as a leader to apply
the appropriate methodology to deal with
a situation, teaching you that everyone
has and needs different styles.
3. Safety leadership - the causes of
accidents are considered; the
psychological background behind why
accidents happen; the role of
management in putting together a set of
circumstances that induce an accident;
trying to instil into leaders the importance
of what they say and what they do.
“Leading the Vision has given me so much
and I have met some inspirational people;
not least of which is my friend Geoff Smith
from Humber, who is a fantastic facilitator.
Every six months we go and visit the
refineries, meet with the leadership teams
and supervisors to see how the course has
impacted on their daily lives and how it has
been implemented on the ground. In
essence, it’s all about trying to get people to
help themselves.”
From strength to
strength
“Initially we thought there were 600
supervisors that needed training. From the
pilot programme in Houston in August 2013
which was very successful, to date we’ve
been to 13 different refineries and trained
some 1,800 people. We’ve also trialled it in
Houston for our office based people in the
Commercial department and it still worked
brilliantly in spite of a different audience.
“As I think how to sum up ‘Leading the
Vision’ I know one thing for certain, it has
meant my air miles have racked up big time!
“Looking back over the 25 years I was a
Supervisor, I now realise that twenty four and
a half of them were spent making mistakes;
and I genuinely feel I’ve learnt more than I’ve
imparted over the past three years.
“I’m so pleased that the programme has
been a revelation. It has the backing of
Senior Management in Houston, so ‘the
vision’ will continue,” signed off Mick.
Whitegate Refinery FOURTEEN
BILLY!
TIME’S UP
Irish Feature
Billy takes us through a few brief
highlights of his fuel-filled career...
We wish
Billy Flynn, Whitegate
Refinery’s ‘Road Loading
Guru’ of many years a long
and happy retirement.
We take a brief look back
at quite a legacy...
A
sk any of Ireland’s
major oil companies
who has been the face
of Irish road fuel
transport for the past two decades and
they would all respond ‘Billy Flynn’.
Wind the clock back even further to
1974, on 22nd April to be exact, and a
fresh-faced Billy started work at
Whitegate Refinery as a Shift
Technician.
Almost 41 years to the day later, Billy
decided that the time was right for a
change and he has just handed over
the reins to ‘the new Billy’, Martin
Hennessy; himself a veteran of 37 years
at Whitegate.
FIFTEEN Billy Flynn
“Back in the 1970s when I
started work here things were
certainly very different and I
saw lots of change in those
early days. Following its
construction and
commissioning in the late
1950s, the Refinery was
owned by a conglomerate
of four major oil companies,
until 1982 when Whitegate
was sold to the Irish
Government.
“Having started as a Shift Technician, I
gained experience in various aspects of
the business. I then moved into a role in
which I oversaw Safety and Security for
the site, which of course in Ireland in
those days was a big deal. I remember
the ‘stress’ of the QE2 docking on our
jetty in 1994, ironically to fill up with
water rather than fuel, as it was the only
jetty big enough to accommodate her.
“In the mid 90s the Government was
looking to sell the refinery and decided
to build a road loading terminal at
Whitegate on what was a greenfield site
at the time. The Cork City terminals
were very outdated and the transition to
road loading as an extension of the
production facilities here was an
obvious one; designed to add to the
‘saleability’ for the Government.
“So, I was tasked with ensuring the
build went smoothly and safely,
inheriting a fully operational road
loading terminal just after Christmas in
1995. I took over its day-to-day running
as all of the multi-national brands came
to us to ‘fuel Ireland’ so to speak. The
rest as they say, is history.
“Since Phillips Petroleum bought
Whitegate in 2001, the terminal rapidly
expanded, almost doubling the number
of bays and throughput; at its peak we
loaded 359 trucks per day, and the
business grew from five customers on
the outset to over 100. Today, we ‘road
load’ over 1.2 million tonnes per annum
in the inland Irish market.”
An unblemished
safety record
“I’m immensely proud to say that in over
20 years we’ve never had an accident,
spillage or switch over. My ethos was to
aim at the very top of the tree in terms
of safety and never deviate from that.
“Whether collected or delivered all
hauliers received my mantra of ‘drive
slowly and keep it in the tank’! Driver
training and induction was, and still is
taken very seriously and, once trained,
drivers ‘passed out’ and fuelled up. The
fully automated loading systems and
careful operation, coupled with exacting
Billy Flynn
standards and management of the
facilities have undoubtedly paid off.
“I can honestly say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed
the challenges each day has presented.
The role is multi-faceted and the
interaction between ourselves and other
departments, such as planning,
economics, operations, marketing,
shippers, agents and most of all the
customers; all working as a team to keep
the fuel flowing has been very rewarding.
“Further afield representing Phillips 66 on
various external bodies and committees,
especially the Irish Petroleum Industry
Association which sets standards for road
transport in Ireland has been very
satisfying as you really feel you are making
a difference.
“There’s no doubting I will really miss
Whitegate and especially the people that
make this place truly unique and I wish
them all the best for the future. It’s leisure
time now and myself and my family will be
off to the local tennis club, which we love,”
concluded Billy.
A new era begins
Martin Hennessy, who is pictured (right)
with Billy has taken over the role of Road
Loading and Jetty Area Terminal Lead and
is a ‘born and bred local’. He is the middle
of three generations of Hennessys who
have worked at Whitegate.
He has vast experience in many aspects of
day-to-day refinery operations, having
started work as a Maintenance
Apprentice, followed by various roles in
operations and process aspects of the
business through to Shift Manager and
Onsite Area Lead before taking over from
Billy as the Area Lead for the Road
Loading and Marine Terminal.
So, Billy is very happy that ‘his pride
and joy’ is in safe hands and Martin
joked that he is looking forward to
receiving Billy’s €250k salary... at
least he can afford a new clock for the
office wall!
Billy Flynn, the
long-term face of
Whitegate Refinery’s
road loading terminal
is ceremoniously
handed the office
clock... as ‘time’s up’
and he can put his
feet up!
Billy Flynn SIXTEEN
Irish Feature
With over 50 sites and counting, Amber
is a shining light in Irish
forecourt retailing...
TRUE
COLOURS
S
ince Liam
Fitzgerald
first ventured
into fuel
retailing 35
years ago
under the
Amber brand, his true colours
as an entrepreneurial and
forward-thinking businessman
have risen to the challenge.
SEVENTEEN Amber
Today, Liam’s vision from its outset in
the 1980s has manifested itself into 52
sites across Southern Ireland, all at the
cutting edge of modern forecourt
design.
Reinventing the
forecourt and retail
offering
To say Amber’s sites have built on the
concept of what your average forecourt
site should aspire to and offer its
customers is an understatement. Take
the first of Liam’s new generation of
service stations in Fermoy, County Cork,
where In Touch met up with him to
discover his ‘Amber passion’.
From the moment you step out of your
car onto the spacious forecourt to fuel
your vehicle, a slick and colourful brand,
state of the art pumps, ultra modern car
wash, dedicated HGV fuelling and a
whole host of other forecourt facilities
Amber
the fact its whole concept was planned
by such a small ‘County Cork’ team, and
the finished result is testament to the
immense amount of work it entailed.
Fresh ideas
Inside the large retail space a
plethora of fresh food draws
you in to the amazing deli
area where customers
are spoilt for choice
with an all day menu,
consisting of locally
sourced ingredients
that would put
some restaurants
to shame! Coupled
with the aroma of
fresh coffee and
bread, the food and
drink counters are
always busy.
Over 50
Amber sites across
Southern Ireland,
all at the cutting edge
of modern forecourt
design
present
themselves, at
this well-designed and
state-of-the art site.
The Fermoy site features a sweeping
modern glass and steel building and
canopy on the outside with a vibrant
purple, lime green and unsurprisingly
amber colour scheme inside.
High quality fittings, floating ceilings and
a superb lighting scheme make this
building really special, especially due to
the poshest toilets you’ve ever seen at a
service station all add to the mix to
create one busy, bustling, ‘happening’
place.
Quality recognised
Amber Fermoy’s quality offering won a
major accolade, the Best in Fresh Award
2011 for excellence in fresh food retailing
in a forecourt store. The award recognised
the good quality & value of products and
excellent customer service which is
synonymous with Amber’s name.
In fact locals and passers by
‘in the know’ just come along to
eat in the restaurant, making it a
destination in itself!
Another novel idea which will grace
Amber sites in the summer and sums up
Liam’s attention to detail, is a mobile icecream kiosk to be imported all the way
from Japan, prominently positioned for
maximum impact and sales.
A large wine, beer and spirits display,
high convenience grocery aisles, local
cakes and confectionary, free wi-fi and
Amber EIGHTEEN
Amber
Cover
Story
The changing face of
Irish fuel retailing
Through difficult economic times in the
late 1980s and 90s, the big fuels brands
slowly left the Irish market.
Liam’s relationship with the then
ConocoPhillips started at the turn of the
millenium and has remained a
‘constant’ ever since, with the ability to
reliably source top quality fuels locally
once the nearby road-loading terminal at
Whitegate opened its doors...or rather its
valves!
a Morris Minor. We get there, but not
fast!”
“Over recent years our progress has
quickened its pace reflecting our
ambition to grow into one of Ireland’s
larger independent fuel retailers. We
aim to further expand our network which
now stands at 24 company owned and
operated sites with a further 28 branded
dealer sites on our books.
This ‘confidence of supply’ in a turbulent
marketplace allowed Amber to start to
compete with the ‘big boys’ bringing their
own brand to the marketplace.
“Over time we’ve looked to progress
using our own in-house vision, ideas,
skills and expertise and I see no reason
to change that philosophy now! We have
a small design team and we work
collaboratively to create their vision
which I believe represents our
personality and create sites that are truly
unique.”
Amber has always been a family
business and its growth in the early days
was, according to Liam, “Slow. More like
“At the moment, 18 of our sites follow
our current design style, of which Fermoy
was the first, launched about eight years
ago. Since then we’ve noticed others
Looking back, looking
forward
NINETEEN Amber
The first ‘living wall’ in
Ireland?
From top left,
clockwise:
Amber’s d’lish cafe;
extensive wine selection;
car wash and HGV facilities;
Amber’s Managing Director
Liam Fitzgerald (left) pictured
with Whitegate Refinery’s
Business Development
Manager,
Paul Barrington
trying to
emulate
our style.
Our response
is simply to create
better, more attractive
sites which are second-to-none; as well
as constantly upgrading and expanding
our existing sites wherever possible. For
instance, I’m really excited about our
new ‘living wall’ as part of our expansion
plans at Fermoy, which I belive is the first
of its kind in Ireland.
“Keeping business simple is what it’s all
about. Sure we’ve had set-backs over
the years, but its all about how you get
up and bounce back... It’s great fun and I
love it.
“Since 1980, three core principles have
been synonymous with Amber;
competitive prices, consistent quality
and excellent customer service; all of
which we aim to continue.
“We are opening another site next
month and have plans to open at least
two or three more this year. The future is
bright, in fact you could say it’s Amber!”
GAS
LIQUEFIED
Specialty Fuels Feature - LPG
PETROLEUM
(LPG)
Naomi
Donoghue tells
In Touch why LPG
is a very special
specialty fuel
P
hillips 66 is one of, if not
the foremost producers
of LPG in the UK. We
take a look at how this
special fuel sits in the UK & Ireland
Marketing (UKIM) fuels portfolio.
Propane and butane gases, collectively
known as LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
are sourced either from separating the
products from natural gas streams, or
from oil refinery processes. LPG is a
relatively small part of the barrel, some
2-3% of the output of refined
products. It is used extensively for
off gas grid domestic and
commercial heating, as well as
portable bottled gas, industrial
processes and in the petrochemical industry.
A total of 3.5 million tonnes of
LPG is used in the UK, two
thirds of LPG produced in the UK
comes from refinery production
versus one third from gas
separation.
What is LPG?
Chemically, LPG is a mixture of two
flammable but non-toxic gases called
propane and butane. If you could see
inside an LPG tank or bottle, you'd see a
liquid not a gas. That's because the
propane and butane have been
compressed so they take up something
like 274 times less space than normal.
Like lowering its temperature,
compressing a gas (increasing its
pressure) eventually turns it into a liquid.
Compressed in this way, LPG takes up
relatively little space, so those big LPG
tanks you see next to peoples’ homes
actually contain far more "gas" (in liquid
form) than you might suppose. In the
same way, even a tiny canister of
camping gas contains a surprising
amount of energy for your cooking.
When you use LPG, it's released slowly
and safely from the container through a
valve and, at that point, turns back into a
gas. In that form, it's just like natural gas:
it's a fuel rich in energy that you can burn
for a myriad of purposes.
What is LPG used for?
Heating: If your home is not connected
to the natural gas main, LPG is the
convenient and clean alternative that
provides all the benefits of gas which is
why it is already used by 150,000
homes in the UK.
Cooking: LPG offers a fuel ideal for
cooking as being a gas you can instantly
LPG Feature TWENTY
Specialty Fuels Feature
control the temperature of the cooking.
This makes it an ideal choice for both
indoor and outdoors, whether it be in your
garden, in the caravan, or for outdoor
catering. It is also cleaner than most
outdoor cooking alternatives.
Driving: LPG or autogas as it is more
commonly known is the cleanest, greenest
and cheapest most widely available
alternative fuel for vehicles with over 1,400
refuelling sites throughout the UK, most of
which are on petrol forecourts.
Commercially: LPG is widely used for many
industrial and agricultural applications
such as space and process heating, grain
drying, poultry farming, cutting, welding,
powering machinery, producing food, water
heating, de-frosting, shrink-wrapping,
powering industrial ovens, kilns or
furnaces, or powering fork-lift trucks in and
outside warehouses. Due to its versatility
and emission benefits it is an ideal choice.
What are the pro’s and
con’s of LPG?
The main reason for converting to LPG is
its superb portability and convenience: it
can be used in remote places where
ordinary gas supplies are unavailable. That
doesn't just mean rural homes: large LPG
canisters are extremely useful in disasters
and emergencies where supplies of
electricity and gas have either been
interrupted or never existed in the first
place. Although LPG is a fossil fuel, it is
relatively clean compared to those such as
coal and oil (it causes less air pollution as
it has fewer soot particulates, nitrogen
oxides, and sulphur) and produces fewer
carbon dioxide emissions.
TWENTY ONE LPG Feature
The only two drawbacks of LPG are safety
and cost. Keeping a gas pressurized at
274 times less space than it would
normally occupy requires extremely sturdy
metal tanks and LPG is highly flammable.
Having said that, LPG suppliers go to great
lengths to ensure safety and LPG is
generally recognised as being on the
whole, just as safe as an ordinary natural
gas supply. Nevertheless, LPG is typically
more expensive than ordinary natural gas;
but if you can't get mains gas, or the
convenience of using LPG outweighs other
factors, maybe that's not such an issue.
A low carbon future...
The UK Government has set demanding
carbon reduction targets by 2030 and LPG
has the potential to contribute to this goal.
LPG is an immediately available low
carbon energy ideally suited for use where
there is no access to mains gas, as it is
clean, efficient, versatile and secure.
“Phillips 66 LPG infrastructure positions
us in a strong place in the market. We are
primarily a manufacturer of LPG, however
our cavernous storage facilities (which
are literally huge caverns carved out
underground) located close to the refinery
also enable us to store vast quantities of
LPG. As a producer and storer we are
therefore in complete control in terms of
security of supply which enables us to
always meet our customers’ demands.
Our competitors may be able to produce
or store LPG, but there is no-one else
out there that can do both in any sort
of significant volume like we can; we
can store up to 45 days’ production in
our extensive caverns.
LPG forms part of the UK’s proposed
carbon reduction solution as there is
minimal need for infrastructure changes
and investment; thus making economic
and environmental sense for politicians,
rural businesses and householders when
planning how to meet future energy needs.
Phillips 66 and LPG
Naomi Donoghue, Aviation and LPG Sales
Manager for UKIM, tells us about LPG from
a Phillips 66 perspective: “LPG is
manufactured at our Humber Refinery and
is a relatively small part of ‘Humber’s
output’ of refined products, however it is a
very important part of that refining
process; producing a ‘niche’ or ‘specialty’
product which is both valuable and
versatile.
“All of our UK production goes ‘inland’ and
contributes to the company’s overall fuel
sales mix. We sell wholesale in large
quantities to intermediaries and resellers
who re-sell into the end user market. We
LPG
also supply large commercial clients in
bulk across the UK which in itself is a large
scale operation. We have our own
dedicated transport for delivered product,
but the bulk of our wholesale business is
collected from our Humber loading
terminal.
“In addition to our production facilities, we
are one of very few companies that are
able to import LPG in significant quantities
and store it: therefore supporting inland
demand, which is a growing market trend.
“Such comprehensive LPG ‘facilities’
undoubtedly enable us to be leaders in the
UK LPG marketplace.”
The trade association
for LPG in the UK
“I sit on the board of UKLPG, which is the
trade association for the LPG industry in
the UK and includes a diverse range of
companies such as producers, distributors,
equipment and service providers, vehicle
converters and associated tradesmen.
“UKLPG is the one voice of the LPG
industry in the UK, setting safety standards
and Codes of Practice, lobbying
Government and representing an industry
worth over £750 million to the nation’s
economy which employs over 10,000
people. At around 5 million tonnes of
production per annum, LPG may account
for a relatively small proportion of what fuel
comes out of UK refineries, but as these
numbers suggest, it’s a big business all the
same.
“LPG is a niche fuel that is here to stay and
Phillips 66 are proud to be at the forefront
of the UK industry,” concluded Naomi.
LPG facts
At a glance
750,000,000
7,000,000
Seven hundred and fifty million pounds...That’s what the LPG industry is
worth to the UK economy!
150,000
The number of vehicles that run on LPG, commonly called Autogas
throughout Europe.
The approximate number of UK homes who are not connected to the
gas mains (off-grid) use LPG for heating and cooking; delivered by
resellers by road and stored in a tank on their property.
274
LPG is compressed into 274 times less space than its gases would
normally occupy, turning it into a liquid for transport and storage.
33
The combustion of LPG emits 33% less carbon-dioxide than burning coal,
making it a clean and efficient energy source as part of the UK fuels mix.
1
Phillips 66 are one of the UK's foremost LPG suppliers!
LPG Feature TWENTY TWO
MORE TRAIN
MORE GAIN
Supply Update - More Train, More Gain
We look at how the Phillips 66 Supply
Chain lets the train take the strain!
G
etting the right
product to the
right place at the
right time is
crucial to the
business needs of Phillips 66, its
dealers, distributors and
customers alike.
The smooth running of the supply function
of the business is essential to keeping our
existing customers supplied and happy as
well as enabling Phillips 66 to attract new
customers to the brand.
It is the task of the Supply Team to facilitate
this, balancing the supply and demand side
of the business on a daily basis. Paul Turner,
Supply Operations Manager, tells In Touch
about a number of developments aimed at
keeping the wheels of supply well-oiled:
“When we are talking hundreds of millions
of litres per annum being delivered across
the UK each year, it’s not hard to imagine
why such a complicated logistical operation
requires stringent planning, teamwork,
collaboration and constant monitoring in
order to achieve a smooth-running
operation.
TWENTY THREE Supply Update
Out and About
“The supply function is the successful
execution of operations between our
refinery production and our destination
terminals. Our refinery produces it, our
customers demand it and our job put
simply, is to make it happen.
“Security of supply in this context has to be
a collaborative effort with everyone in the
business doing their job in a safe, effective
and timely manner; from manufacturing at
the refinery, to transport contractors,
storage facilities, terminal operations, right
through to making the product available in
all its forms for the end user.
“People want a resilient supply chain, one
that’s ultra reliable and dependable yet
flexible and adaptable. As such, we are
always looking for ways to develop and
improve how we do what we do.
“In this context of increased demand we
examine our infrastructure, consider capital
expenditure projects to improve our
facilities, look closely at logistics to ensure
we move our product as efficiently and costeffectively as possible, and work with our
chosen contractors and colleagues in the
business to optimise our methods of
working to best effect. All of these factors
influence our capability to deliver so that we
mirror the market’s demand.”
Full ‘steam’ ahead
“One recent development of working closely
with our rail transport providers
DB Schenker, who are world leaders in
offering a full range of dedicated rail freight
services, has enabled us to make significant
improvements to our rail supply function,
moving fuel from Humber Refinery to
Warwickshire Oil Storage Limited (WOSL).
“At the end of 2014, I was part of the
Phillips 66 team who negotiated a new five
year contract with DB Schenker to ensure
stability and resilience in our rail logistical
operations. Looking longer-term, this deal
ensures continuity and security of supply,
bearing in mind we own Humber, as well as
50% of WOSL as part of a joint venture with
Total.
“From a position just a couple of years ago
which saw a capacity of eleven, 30 wagon
trains per week, we have incrementally
increased our rail deliveries to 12 trains per
week, most of which carry 32 wagons.
“The recent addition of a Saturday
afternoon train has also contributed to a
17% volume increase during the last year.
Putting on an extra train may sound simple
enough but DB Schenker’s experience in
negotiating with Network Rail to
accommodate this extra capacity into an
already busy freight and passenger
timetable, was invaluable.
off-loading points at WOSL. Investment was
crucial to ensure that the efficiencies gained
by more productive rail transport weren’t
negated by an inability to offload the
wagons within a set timeframe. Another
‘capex’ investment saw the installation of
new equipment that allowed WOSL to offload product received by rail at the same
time as accept product coming in by pipe.
“You have to take an integrated approach to
changing the way things operate as
invariably, one thing is interlinked to another.
There is a knock-on-effect of change and a
collaborative solution with everyone involved
is almost always required to achieve the end
goal.
“Now the whole rail loading, discharging and
transportation process is a lot quicker and
more streamlined from start to finish,
supporting the growth and demand in the
marketplace. The business has certainly
made some gain thanks to the train!”
signed off Paul.
OUT&ABOUT
“These improvements also ran hand-inhand with updating and upgrading our rail
T
o gain a better understanding of each and every facet of the business on-the-ground
and their day-to-day operations, the UK & Ireland Marketing Team have taken Head
Office out and about over the past few months. From retail to tanks and terminals,
they’ve seen a lot!
Whilst out in the field their objective was to
consider the challenges their colleagues
face on a daily basis and look at how things
can be improved in every aspect of what
they do, via honest and open dialogue. In
turn, they gain a greater understanding of
the whole business and staff feel
empowered, supported and motivated to
work safely and productively.
One such recent visit was to the
Warwickshire Oil Storage Terminal (WOSL) at Kingsbury, Warwickshire, which is headed up by Paul
Feasey from Phillips 66 who is on secondment there as Terminal Manager. Paul gave Elaine Price,
Senior Counsel, Emma McKim, Manager, National Sales, and Nada Chebib, HR Business Partner
Manager (pictured above left to right) a guided tour of the site after a presentation on Terminal
Safety to raise awareness of the prevention of major accident hazards at fuel storage depots.
Paul explains: “As a company, we quite rightly put a great deal of effort into ensuring the safety of
our staff; preventing ‘slips, trips, and falls’, what you would call occupational safety. We also put a
very big emphasis on process safety. Major incidents in the oil industry are, thankfully, extremely
rare, but when they do occur they are usually the result of a coming together of a number of smaller
system failings. For me at WOSL, process safety is the combination of good engineering design,
systematic inspection and maintenance, and disciplined operational procedures that ensure that
there are no spillages of fuel.”
Supply Update TWENTY FOUR
OUR PEOPLE
Our People
The company was undergoing significant change at the time
with ConocoPhillips splitting into upstream and downstream
companies, forming Phillips 66. Concurrently, the UK & Ireland
Marketing organisation was restructuring to better meet the
demands of the evolving marketplace, culminating in today’s
three sales channels; National, Regional and Specialty.
Pete’s leadership over the past three years has resulted in a
focused, high-performing sales organisation, equipped with
renewed skills and a different mindset to support Pete’s desire
for Phillips 66 to be the ‘supplier of choice’ for the UK and
Ireland marketplace.
In order to facilitate a smooth transition, Mary Wolf (pictured
below), formerly Manager Asset Origination, Midstream,
became Deputy Managing Director, UK & Ireland Marketing on
1st July 2015. Mary will then assume the role of Managing
Director, UK & Ireland Marketing with effect from 2nd October
2015.
Pete George, Managing
Director of Phillips 66
UK & Ireland Marketing, has
announced his retirement
following 45 years of service
to the company.
P
ete, who joined the company in 1970 in the
routing office at Immingham, is a well-known and
highly respected industry figure. Throughout his
career, Pete has taken on a number of operational
and marketing roles across the business,
eventually being promoted to his current position as Managing
Director in 2012.
TWENTY FIVE Our People
As Pete’s successor, Mary brings a wealth of experience to her
new role. She began her career in 1995 working in the semiconductor industry before joining Conoco in 2001 as a Pilot
Plant Engineer in Oklahoma. She moved from Technology to
the Ponca City Refinery before relocating to Houston in 2006,
where she joined Major Capital Projects
as a Lead Process Design Engineer.
Prior to her role in Commercial, Mary
also worked in Corporate Strategy and
Business Development.
Commenting on her new role, Mary
said: “I’m very much looking forward to
joining the UK & Ireland Marketing
Team and to driving this dynamic
business forward by building on the
strong foundations of operating
excellence established under Pete’s
outstanding leadership.”
Pete adds: “I would like to reassure our
customers that they shouldn’t see any
major changes in direction at
Phillips 66. It’s business as usual and I
have every confidence that Mary will be
an ideal successor to take the business
forward and secure continued growth.
The expertise, knowledge and attitude
of the employees within UK & Ireland
Marketing is what really drives this
organisation forward, and I am proud to
have been a part of such a successful
company.”
Over the coming months Pete will be
working closely with Mary to ensure a
smooth transition process. He will also
be taking every opportunity to bid
farewell to customers and industry
colleagues. Pete’s final leaving date is
anticipated to be the end of September.
B
D
Dave Blakemore retires
after a 38 year career
ave Blakemore has called time on his
illustrious full-time career in the oil business.
Here’s a quick snapshot of a most respected
and successful professional...
Dave Blakemore joined the company at the Humber Refinery
in 1976 as a Process Engineer, having graduated with a first
class degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of
Manchester’s Institute of Science and Technology.
After an early career in refining and business development, Dave rapidly advanced
through a number of more senior roles gaining experience in three countries, working in
the USA, Germany and Spain; his fortitude being business transformation and
organisational change, strategy and performance improvement. Under his leadership he
showed an exemplary track record of leading change and implementing developments in
large, complex businesses, driving improvements by engaging employees to see a more
exciting and innovative future.
His recent positions based back in the UK have included General Manager of UK
Marketing, Manager, Six Sigma for Europe/Asia Pacific Downstream and Manager,
Strategy & Business Development for Europe Downstream. His last role, Manager,
European Business Affairs was recently expanded to include the European business
support groups.
Dave is a highly respected ambassador and trusted to assist in developing energy policy
and legislation. He served as President of the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry
Association between 2005/6 and as a board member of the European Petroleum
Industry Association and of CONCAWE. He is also a Fellow Member of the Energy Institute.
Having interfaced with Government in his last roles with the company, Dave now plans to
find opportunities to assist Government with some of their challenges to improve
efficiency. We wish him all the best for the future.
Brian Mandell appointed President, Marketing
rian Mandell has been appointed President, Marketing, taking the reins
from Andy Viens who retired at the end of 2014. With 24 years’ service
under his belt since beginning his career with Conoco in 1991, Brian brings a
wealth of experience to his new role. After starting his career in Marketing he
ventured into both the Commercial and Midstream organisations in the US
and has worked in a variety of roles including derivatives, fractionation management,
business development and more recently, clean products trading.
Brian comments: “It’s been 15 years since I’ve been in Marketing and it’s been great to
see how much you have accomplished. It’s clear to me that we have a talented team
with a strong commitment to excellence. I am confident that we are doing many things
right and that we are moving our business in the right direction. Over the next few
months, I will be visiting with teams across Marketing and I have already scheduled travel
to Europe and Bartlesville and look forward to meeting and discussing future plans with
our employees in those offices as well as our employees in the field.”
Our People TWENTY SIX
INTAKE SIDE
retail
roundRound-up
up
JET Retail
R
We take a look at Intake Developments, whose n
obert Campbell of
Intake Developments
takes great pride in
their nine family owned forecourts
in South Yorkshire. He tells us
why re-signing them to the JET
brand once more offers his
business a bright future...
“We’ve been a family-owned and run
business for over four decades, since my
father ventured into fuel retailing from
selling used Volvos! Back in those days he
worked with local estate agents and
builders to buy, build and over the years,
sell quite a few forecourts. Throughout the
years however, there has been one
‘constant’ that has always been associated
with the name Intake and that of course is
the JET brand!
“My father has since retired and along with
a tight-knit team of six, located in Barnsley,
we have grown to operate nine JETbranded forecourts in the locality. There
have been many changes over the years
but our philosophy of offering a top quality
product and the best customer service we
can has stood the test of time; when I stop
and take stock, it’s exactly the same ethos
that has stood JET in good stead over the
years too. That’s the reason that I had no
hesitation in extending our relationship for
TWENTY SEVEN
ONE Dudley
Duck
TWENTY
Intake
Developments
a further period when our fuel
supply agreement was up for
renewal at the end of last year.”
Lots of interest,
but nothing as
interesting
“When the ‘jungle drums
sounded’ about our fuel supply agreement
renewal there was lots of interest from
other major fuel brands who were very
keen to get us to put pen to paper with
them. Their brand kudos strong, their
deals competitive, yet no-one else was as
proud, passionate or progressive as the
fantastic people at JET, in relation to what
their brand has to offer. In fact I think it’s
difficult for the growing independent fuel
operator to look
anywhere else
than JET!
“We aspire to be the best we can in all we
do, to run the most efficient, clean and tidy
JET sites that give customers what they
want. We sell what sells and truly listen to
our customers’ requirements.
“It’s difficult
for the growing
independent fuel
operator to look
anywhere else than
JET!”
“It is the same mindset of ‘being the best
we can’ that pairs us so perfectly with JET.
Our relationship is honest, straightforward
and you know where you stand. ‘JET
people’ are easy to deal with, genuine and
will always do their best to work with us
rather than dictate a corporate mantra to
us; they’re a big business with a
personable, caring approach. I was
impressed by the fact that many of JET’s
ES WITH JET
Intake Developments
nine sites have taken to the JET brand once more
senior people took the time and trouble to
visit us and meet our site principals to
gather a greater understanding of the
specifics of our business when talking to us
about the future together; they offer a
comprehensive support network and try to
cover ‘all bases’. All of these factors make
you feel valued.”
Why JET?
“With JET I honestly believe we sell the very
best quality fuels out there, and the recent
addition of a premium diesel in ‘Sentinel’ is
an important addition to our fuels-mix.
Their scheduling and delivery service is
excellent and of course with their owning
the Humber Refinery, that does give me
peace of mind in knowing that the pumps
won’t run dry.
“I think their distinctive branding is strong,
bold and welcoming, it sits alongside or
even betters all of the other major oil
companies. The recent re-fit of all our sites
with new canopy fascias, pole signs and
other yellow and blue livery has added a
modern twist, making our sites brighter
while drawing customers in. The safe, fast
and efficient manner of this ‘re-vamp’ by
Wayne Bradley and his team at Astley Signs
is to be applauded.
“Our sites are ‘traditionally’ positioned in
the heart of busy communities. So even
with our great looking branding we have to
ensure that we offer a little more than
‘slick looking’ forecourts nearby. A well run,
friendly site based on personal service,
delivered by people who care wins every
time in my opinion.
“We are always keen to invest in our
facilities as well as our people and we are
always looking to upgrade our offering.
Whether it’s having the latest equipment,
re-fitting shops or offering a wider variety of
products and services, it’s essential that
we keep at the forefront of forecourt
retailing. A case in point is we’ve just
invested in five new high-tech Istobal rollover car washes for our sites.”
Proud to be JET
“The initiatives JET have for dealers at the
moment are very exciting and really make a
difference to our business, helping create a
more pleasant experience for our
customers. The Proud to be JET scheme
and the focus on standards and service
keeps our businesses running efficiently,
safely and legally. Staff training and the
mystery shoppers ensure we focus on
giving our best customer service every day.
The Suresite auditing of our sites’ facilities
also help us address areas of
improvement. In fact we use the response
and feedback as a bit of ‘in-house rivalry’
as each of the nine sites strive to be the
best of the bunch!
“The deals struck with third parties are of
great benefit too, such as the ‘Tokheim’
pump maintenance deal which is better
than ever before; and better than any deal
we could negotiate directly! Another winner
is the new Amazon Lockers concept where
busy customers can collect or return their
Amazon purchases at our site free of
charge rather than having to wait in for a
delivery. We are in the first tranche of JET
sites to have Amazon lockers which will be
installed soon and I think this can only add
to the busy nature of our site.
Safely
does it for
Suckling
Transport’s
Driver of
the Year,
Phil
“Intake
Developments
take great pride
in continuing
their longstanding
relationship with
JET,” concluded
Robert.
Suckling Transport’s
Driver of the Year
TWENTY
TWO
Intake Developments
TWENTY
EIGHT
NORTH
JET Retail Round-up
THE
WEST
FRONTIER
Alas, for any film buffs out there we aren’t exploring the North West of India in 1905
with Lauren Bacall and Kenneth More.
T
We journey together as we visit JET’s ‘empire’ returning to the North West of the UK;
a frontier unknown for a time, but a ‘land’ full of promise!
he North West
of the UK is home
to many a large
urban conurbation,
centred on the
metropolises of
Liverpool and
Manchester, yet set amidst a stunningly
beautiful rural backdrop with dramatic
landscapes reaching far beyond into
Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, North
Wales and the Peak District.
After many years absence, the JET brand
returns to this busy, industrial heartland,
in the North West of England as part of
the expansion of JET’s retail sites to meet
their target of increasing the number of
sites by 30% by 2018, which is well
underway.
Ideally located
“Opportunities abound in the North
West,” says JET’s Alasdair Moores,
Territory Manager North. “With our core
Bramhall Terminal located in the heart of
the region we are ideally placed to service
and supply JET dealers’ requirements.
Recent infrastructure developments at
our Humber Refinery have led to
increased capacity at both our Kingsbury
and Bramhall terminals, so it’s my team’s
TWENTY NINE Superfine
job to develop our retail presence in the
area. There has been a lot of interest so
far in the region and I’m hopeful that we
will be able to expand our North West
network of sites rapidly throughout the
year as we talk to dealers and spread the
word that JET is back with a vengeance!”
We take a look at two JET dealers who
recently tied to the JET brand; Superfine,
based in Blackburn, Lancashire and
Mostyn Broadway located in Llandudno in
North Wales, to find out why the JET
brand is once again proving popular ‘up
north’.
Superfine,
doing just
fine...
Superfine Service Station is located
in Whalley Range on the outskirts of
Blackburn town centre and can
proudly boast to be the first JET
forecourt back in the North West.
Set amongst a large ‘weaved’ mass of
tightly-knit streets, harping back to
Blackburn’s former mill-town heritage,
Whalley Range is surrounded by hills in a
typical Pennine style in the heart of this
busy urban, community.
Blackburn’s textile industry made it the
boomtown of the Industrial Revolution
and in one small street things are
definitely booming again as Sany Patel,
owner of the thriving Superfine site tells
us about how his new JET site is fast
becoming a hub for local trade.
“I wanted a fresh start
and a change of colour
for my site”
“I quite fancied a fresh start and a change
of colours on my forecourt,” explained
Sany, when his previous fuel supply
agreement was drawing to a close
towards the end of 2014.
“Quite simply that’s how my relationship
with JET started. I suppose I was a little
disillusioned with my existing brand and
most others seemed much of a
muchness. I saw JET’s bright yellow and
blue advert in Forecourt Trader Magazine
The North West Frontier - Superfine
and with an open mind decided to give
them a call to see what they had to say. A
visit from JET’s Wayne Oakes to chat
through the benefits of joining the JET
dealer network and the rest is history as
they say. I signed up to be a JET dealer.
“I like working quickly and instinctively. If a
deal ‘goes cool’ then you have to start
wondering if it’s right? If you have the ball
in your court then sometimes it pays off to
be bold and courageous and get out of
your comfort zone; then you can see
success at the end of the day.
“I particularly liked the responsiveness JET
showed in dealing with my enquiry and
securing my business as it’s very much the
way I like to work. The re-branding process
was very professionally handled too. They
were in and out in a few days, safely doing
a great job.
“I have to say, six months into my new deal
I couldn’t be happier, as it has given my
site a breath of fresh air! Even better is
that same level of response is still there if I
need it. JET’s ‘back-office’ support team
are very good. I rarely need help but it’s
reassuring to know they are there and
empowered to make quick decisions and
sort out any problems I may have there
and then.
“Fuel deliveries are a breeze as their
scheduling team are also straightforward
and easy to deal with. All in all, joining the
JET brand was a great decision. I’m
especially pleased with the yellow and
blue livery and pole sign which drew me
towards JET in the first place as this
stands out loud and proud on the street,
now drawing my customers in.”
Community hub
“Our local community are very loyal and
regularly fill up with fuel and fulfill their
shopping needs on a daily basis. In fact,
we are the ‘corner shop’ and as such it
matters that we get our offering right. We
aren’t a massive shop to say the least and
there’s no room for expansion so having
the right products always available is our
way of being there for the local community.
I’d like to think we’ve got everything they
want, but I’m always on the lookout for
new products to add to our tightly
crammed shelves!”
People and pricing matter
“We know most of our customers by name
and we take great pride in greeting every
customer, locals and passers-by alike with
warmth and friendliness at all times. We
ensure we get customers ‘in and out’ as
swiftly as possible as time matters and noone likes queueing. We have an almost
continuous flow of customers all day long,
popping in for this and that as and when
they need it.
“Our customers are loyal to us and our way
of thanking them is to ensure we are never
over-priced. Money can be tight, so the
price on the pole sign and everything in
the shop has to be as competitive as it can
be, thus ensuring on-going trade.”
The future
“I’ve owned and operated this site for 20
years now, but I am as enthused as ever
about the future as partnering with JET
has given us real impetus; so much so
that when the other two sites I own come
up for a ‘re-tie’ there’s no doubt I will be
giving Alasdair at JET a call. In fact I’ve
spoken to many colleagues ‘in the trade’
and told them about JET, so I hope that
he’s able to seal those deals too, as and
when they come up for negotiation. I get
the feeling that we might see a lot more
yellow and blue popping up in and around
Blackburn and the North West,”
concluded Sany.
Superfine THIRTY
JET Retail Round-up
Mostyn Broadway
Ghulam Yasin, owner of Mostyn Broadway Service Station in Llandudno,
North Wales, tells us why a strong brand, a great deal and straightforward
people convinced him that JET was right for his business.
W
hen Ghulam Yasin
finished with
‘fashion’ he
ventured into
forecourts. We find
out more...
After a quarter of a century in the fashion
industry, the rag-trade had lost its appeal for
Yasin and he decided it was time for a
wholesale change. Ironically it was
wholesalers not paying, the constant juggle
of debtors and creditors and managing
cash-flow, let alone running his fashion
business that made up his mind for him.
Consequently he decided to venture into the
world of forecourt retailing. Customers
queuing up to pay you money there and
then; couldn’t be simpler, right?
That was seven years ago. From a man who
knew literally nothing about the ‘fuel
business’, Yasin with his business acumen
alone to rely on, has come a long way since
those early days.
A steep learning curve at two other sites,
which he still owns and operates, in Llanrwst
in the Conwy Valley, North Wales and a
second in Sheffield, enabled Yasin to get to
grips with the ins and outs of forecourt
retailing.
THIRTY ONE Mostyn Broadway
With experience and
expertise now at hand
Yasin looked to
expand his
business and find
a site that was
ideally
positioned for
local and
passing trade in
a busy location.
He found such a
site just a hundred
yards from the
promenade in
Llandudno in North Wales,
but the owner was ‘not for
selling’! Two and a half years later and his
persistence paid off as Yasin finally bought
the site at Mostyn Broadway in Llandudno,
North Wales, back in September 2014.
JET’s brand in
North Wales.
Risky?
“I’m the
first JET forecourt in
North Wales, it seems
to have worked in my
favour... fuel volumes
are up!”
From there he had some important choices
to make. The site had been with the same
fuel brand since the 1990s and had
become a little tired. Yasin understood that
he needed to invest in the convenience store
and improve the forecourt with new pumps
and lighting. Even more importantly, he
needed a good consumer fuel brand to bring
in the customers and of course wanted to
secure himself a brilliant deal.
“All of the big fuel
brands were keen
to talk to me, but it
soon became
clear that JET and
another well-known
brand were the front
runners. One concern
was the claim from JET’s
competitors that ‘JET is only
an east coast brand and that
volumes would drop as they weren’t known
in North Wales’.
“I had been familiar with JET since the 70s
when my dad used to fill up at the local JET
in Yorkshire. I still live in Rochdale and I
therefore know how strong the JET brand is
as it is better known in the North West as a
wholesale supplier as well as being
recognised in a lot of the major cities close
by.
“People travel and Llandudno is a popular
leisure destination as well as being home to
an older retired community, so although
The North West Frontier - Mostyn Broadway
NORTH
THE
WEST
FRONTIER
I’m the first JET forecourt in North Wales, it
seems to have worked in my favour, not the
other way around, as fuel volumes are up
and business is booming.”
JET offer a strong supply
position
“One of my big concerns when choosing a
fuel supplier was security of supply. Some
of the other big brands have their own
company-owned sites and I was worried
that if there were supply issues (as UK
refineries seem to close every other week!)
then I might come at the bottom of the
heap.
“After all, a forecourt without fuel is a big
issue in many respects and a potentially
stressful experience. Talking to JET, they
offered a fair playing field, a deal that noone else could match and most importantly,
they had a strong message about security
of supply that leveraged the strength of
their own refinery.”
Straightforward and
honest
“Matthew Pougher, JET’s Territory Manager
and I met up to discuss a possible deal.
From that initial encounter I warmed to the
JET brand and its personality. Their attitude
was right and having had some issues in
the past with people and contracts not
being quite what I thought they were, I
didn’t want to repeat this mistake. JET fitted
the bill; they were straightforward and
honest and I could see that they really
wanted my business.
“I didn’t just meet Matthew Pougher
however, Bruce Mackie, his boss, also
came from Scotland to see me, along with
Guy Pulham who heads up the UK regional
business to introduce themselves and chat
about JET’s unique way of doing business.
“I think success is based on great service,
trust and working together. You need to
always do what you promise, have a smile
on your face, look after your customers and
give them a fair deal. Such a culture was
very apparent from the word go from JET’s
people, so I decided that a strong brand, a
great deal and straightforward people
would see me through. So I went with JET!”
Mostyn Broadway THIRTY TWO
JET Retail Round-up - The North West Frontier - Mostyn Broadway
NORTH
“JET’s card
deal came out 37%
cheaper, that’s a
saving of nearly
£5,000 annually”
THE
WEST
FRONTIER
“Throughout my first year so far with JET I
have to say I couldn’t be happier. Matthew
is always there if I need him, even late at
night or at weekends. Delivery ‘windows’
are flexible and they do their utmost to
accommodate my seasonal trade. I also
like the fact that I can talk to the bosses at
JET and have good working relationships
with many people at head office. I’ve been
to a few meetings and everyone from the
‘head-man’ down is there and
approachable. As I say, they are
transparent and open-minded; I don’t feel I
need to be hesitant and can speak my
mind as they are down to earth and there’s
a mutual trust between us.
“When I signed the contract I predicted 2.2
million litres but taking into account
bunkering, I’m anticipating that we’ll be
over three million which is great! Also, the
extra footfall will help double the shop’s
monthly turnover by the end of the
year.”
Cutting the costs of
managing a forecourt
“One of the strengths of JET’s deal was
around cutting the costs of managing a
forecourt. One example was in managing
credit card transactions; their Suresite
package rates were the best I’d looked at.
“When I did the maths, JET’s card deal
came out at 37% cheaper than the deals at
my existing non-JET sites. That’s a massive
saving of nearly £5,000 annually! The oneday payment terms mean that I get the
money back two days earlier, so the
business account is about £7,000 better
off at any given time, which is brilliant for
cash flow.
THIRTY THREE Mostyn Broadway
“On top of this, the deal is really easy to
understand and there are no unexpected
costs hidden away in other parts of the
contract!”
Volumes up 25%.
Can you put them in touch
with me!
“When I told a friend of mine with five sites
in Manchester that I was going with JET he
asked, ‘Why would you ever go with JET?’ I
rang him up the other day and told him that
site volumes are up 15% in the first six
months and would be up by 25% in the first
year. He said ‘Oh! Could you put them in
touch with me?!’”
Next stop Manchester
“What does the future look like? We will be
moving to 24/7 opening in the next couple
of months and I have my eye on buying a
forecourt or two in Manchester and I have a
small wager with industry colleagues that I
will be the first one to get the JET brand ‘up’
in the city. I have told JET they will need to
work with me again, as long as they give
me a good deal!” said Yasin.
Amazon Locker
A
lways on the look out for
new and diverse
marketing opportunities
to enhance their dealer
support, JET are excited
to be working with Amazon Locker.
This unique opportunity to work alongside
Amazon is ‘win win’ for JET dealers and is
another value-adding initiative from the
Retail Services Team at JET. Outdoor parcel
lockers, like the one here pictured at JET’s
Chidswell Service Station in West Yorkshire
are positioned at a prominent and
convenient location on the forecourt.
First for UK forecourts
Amazon Lockers are already widely in use
in many major public hubs such as
shopping centres, railway stations and
airports to mention but a few; however, JET
are offering dealers an ‘industry-exclusive’
as the first forecourt brand to partner with
Amazon.
“We were
the first JET site in
the country to have a
Locker...It is already
proving hugely popular
with our customers”
Chris Cundall of
Chidswell Station
What’s
in a
brand?
Being associated
with a global brand such
as Amazon brings with it a great
deal of kudos, but best of all it drives footfall
to the site as customers call to collect their
parcels. With over six million online visits
per day and 85% of the UK adult
population holding an account, the
potential number of visitors to site is huge.
How does it work?
Instead of deliveries from Amazon going to a
home or business address where they may
have to ‘wait-in’, customers can select an
Amazon Locker when ordering. Their parcel
is safely and securely stored in the lockers
and they can pick it up whenever suits them
best via a unique pick-up code. Returns are
simple too utilising the same lockers. No
more missed deliveries, just hassle-free
parcel availability, that is easily accessed day
or night, in a local and convenient location
with free parking too!
What are the benefits?
JET’s Strategic Initiatives Coordinator,
Bradley Thomas tells us about the benefits
to JET dealers:
“While they visit the site to use the Amazon
Locker, customers can take advantage of
the opportunity to fill up their tanks with
fuel, buy convenience items from the shop,
use the car wash and many other
associated services a site may offer.
“Many consumers lead busy lives so the
convenience aspect of being able to ‘tick
many to-do boxes’ at a nearby location at
any one time will really appeal to a lot of our
customers. Such increased footfall can only
be good news and bring with it an upturn in
sales.”
Negotiating the deal
“I’m proud of the way that we were
able to work in tandem with
Amazon to pull this offer together
so quickly and efficiently.
Testament to the agility of JET, in
the relatively short space of just
eight weeks we did the deal,
publicised the concept to our
dealer network and are well on the way to
installing the first 50 by the end of the
summer, with other lockers being installed
thereafter.
“Such flexibility and speed is a credit to all
those involved from both parties and shows
a flexibility and willingness to seize an
opportunity on behalf of our dealers when
we see one. The deal we struck is
guaranteed to be better than if a dealer
went direct to Amazon themselves.
“Amazon pay the dealer an annual rent for
the space and manage the lockers’
incomings and outgoings. As such, there is
no additional support needed from staff, so
assuming there is a suitably accessible
space on site that doesn’t interfere with
fuel deliveries as well as access to mains
power then why wouldn’t you add an
Amazon Locker to your site? There is the
added bonus that the Amazon ‘yellow’ is a
close match to our JET yellow; seamless
branding ‘by design’ of course! There are
also plans-afoot to use the lockers as a
billboard, vinyl wrapping them in advertising
for the latest movies, video games and
other Amazon media-based offerings; this
in turn will bring in extra income for JET
dealers,” concluded Bradley.
Sharon Morrow,
Retail Services Co-Ordinator
for JET added: “Amazon’s ‘go do’
attitude has impressed me enormously
during the initial implementation process
and feedback from Dealers has been very
positive over the way Amazon and JET
are working with them to ensure they are
part of this exciting business venture.
I was delighted when over 130 sites
expressed an interest when we launched
the initiative, which is just fantastic!”
Amazon Locker THIRTY FOUR
VERY CONV
JET Retail Round-up - Convenience Initiative
THE LAUNCH OF A NEW INITIATIVE FOR
T
his April, JET launched
its new convenience
initiative at the
Forecourt Show 2015,
held at the NEC in
Birmingham. It’s an
exciting concept that will
give our 350-plus dealers access to a wider,
more tailored choice of retail support.
To deliver this long-term programme, we’ve
agreed a five-year arrangement with SPAR UK,
the UK’s leading convenience store group,
with a turnover in excess of £3bn.
Stuart Cufflin, JET’s Transport and Retail
Contracts Manager, commented: “JET’s new
convenience initiative has been over a year in
the making. The retail element of a forecourt
has never been more important so we wanted
to develop a programme that encompassed a
range of retail support packages.”
Enabling our Dealers
“We recognise that there’s no ‘one size fits all’
solution when it comes to forecourt retailing
so this programme is all about enabling our
dealers to strengthen their own unique retail
offering and providing our dealers with
choices to select the right solutions that will
enhance their businesses.
“Although other fuel suppliers have entered
into arrangements with symbol groups, we
believe this is the first time that such a range
of bespoke retail support packages has
become available to UK dealers. We’re
confident that dealers will see real value in the
packages, particularly in terms of the
consultancy support and the financial benefits
of the rebates we have negotiated on their
behalf.”
THIRTY FIVE Very Convenient
VENIENT.
JET Retail Round-up - 2015 Forecourt Show
OUR JET DEALER NETWORK
Existing JET dealers and any new sites
joining the network will have the choice of
four options and can select the support
package that best meets their shop needs.
Four bespoke packages
• Symbol Partnership: aimed at larger
convenience stores that would like to be
part of the SPAR brand with multiple retail
formats. Dealers can choose from various
branding options for both their forecourt
and shop. In addition, there will be a
range of JET exclusive benefits, savings,
and promotions.
• Wholesale Convenience: aimed at
dealers who would like to be part of the
‘Lifestyle Express’ symbol group. As well
as benefiting from JET exclusive rebates,
dealers choosing this option will be
offered support via retail consultancy
from Make More Margin and receive
industry updates via JET’s membership of
ACS.
• Wholesale: for those dealers that wish to
retain their own shop brand but would
benefit from a wholesale supply service.
Dealers will benefit from JET exclusive
quarterly rebates offering potential
annual savings of thousands of pounds,
along with JET’s extensive support
options via Make More Margin and ACS.
• Independent: for dealers that wish to
operate their shops independently but
could benefit from additional support,
such as Make More Margin retail
consultancy services, ACS updates and
access to JET exclusive deals, preferred
suppliers and industry experts.
Debbie Robinson, SPAR UK Managing
Director, added: “This is a great opportunity
for SPAR. As the leading convenience
symbol group with several award-winning
store formats we are continuously proving
ourselves as the frontrunner in the petrol
forecourt sector.
“We look forward to working with
entrepreneurial independent forecourt
operators within the JET network and seeing
many more SPAR stores on new forecourt
sites around the UK.”
Pictured from left to right are:
Stuart Cufflin, JET Transport and Retail
Contracts Manager, Ian Taylor, Head of
Retail, SPAR and Pete George,
Managing Director, UK & Ireland
Marketing, Phillips 66 Limited
THE 2015
FORECOURT
SHOW
T
his spring JET journeyed to
the NEC in Birmingham to
exhibit their wares at the
UK’s premier event for the
forecourt market. The Forecourt Show
is a long-standing event featuring all of
the forecourt industry’s leading brands;
from oil companies, to forecourt
retailers, service station buyers and
managers, supermarket fuel stations
and industry professionals; it’s an event
not to be missed!
The show provides visitors with lots to
see and do with access to hundreds of
suppliers from fuel brands to car
washes, dispensing equipment, tanks,
EPOS, retail and seasonal products, all
under one roof. This year the show had
the added attraction of The National
Convenience Show and Farm Shop &
Deli Show running alongside it giving
visitors a comprehensive fuel, retail and
food showcase to explore.
Our custom built island stand, pictured
above, was the perfect platform to meet
and greet potential new JET dealers and
showcase our brand. Over the three
days of the show we were delighted to
talk to a great number of interested
parties and show them more about
what JET could offer them. Couple this
with great opportunities to chat and
network with like-minded industry
colleagues old and new, all mean we
are looking forward to doing it all again
in two years’ time!
Very Convenient THIRTY SIX
56
MFG
SITES
JOIN JET
JET Retail Round-up
J
ET brands 56
new sites
through a five
year supply deal with
Motor Fuel Group.
JET are forging ahead with our ambitious
expansion plans thanks to a deal with
one of the UK's leading independent
forecourt operators, Motor Fuel Group
(MFG). A Top 50 Indies forecourt operator,
MFG is a rapidly expanding and profitable
business and has recently been ranked in
the top 10 in The Sunday Times BDO
Profit Track 100.
With Murphy Oil selling its UK assets, MFG
acquired some 228 company-owned sites
and 220 dealer supply agreements. The
THIRTY SEVEN MFG
exciting deal sees 56
sites from MFG’s
purchase of
Murco’s
companyowned retail
business join
the JET
network.
“We’ve
been consistently
impressed with how
JET operates”
MFG chose JET and
two other fuel
suppliers to fuel
their network.
The new five
year supply
contract
with JET
commenced
With the
on 1st April
closure of
Jim Mulheran,
2015, thus
Murco’s Milford
Fuels Director at MFG
taking
the total
Haven refinery in
number of MFG
late 2014, after
sites supplied by
talks to sell the site
JET
to 68.
collapsed, this then left the
facility solely as a petroleum
storage and distribution terminal; so
Jim Mulheran, Fuels Director at MFG,
securing a supply agreement for MFG’s
commented: “Our relationship with JET
substantial forecourt retail network
stretches back many years and over time
needed to be done in a timely manner to
we’ve established a very positive working
ensure security of supply for the sites.
partnership.
Motor Fuel Group site acquisition
ent
Tr
no
-
St
ok
e
JET’s Immingham, Kingsbury and Thames
terminals.
applauded for their efforts in turning this
large re-branding project around so
quickly, safely and efficiently.
MF
G
JET’s Group Dealer Manager Graham
Clout was understandably more
than pleased to complete the deal,
commenting: “After an intense
period of negotiations, I was
delighted that MFG put
“Such a substantial gain of sites is a big
deal for JET and it’s the largest single gain
of sites from another supplier I can recall
in over a quarter of a century in the
business. There’s no doubt it will add to
the growing profile of the JET brand
across the length and breadth of the
country.”
Pete George, Managing Director of
Phillips 66 UK & Ireland Marketing, adds:
“We’ve made no secret of our plans to
expand our network, so to win a
quarter of MFG’s available sites is a
real coup for everyone here at JET.
This latest win takes the total
number of JET sites to over 350
and with further site wins in
the pipeline, it’s a very
exciting time for our network.
“This deal
will add to the profile
of the JET brand across
the length and breadth
of the country”
Graham Clout,
Group Dealer Manager,
Phillips 66
The
original ten
MFG sites supplied
by JET spread from Southampton in the
South to Glasgow in the North, while the
remaining sites are located throughout
Humberside, the Midlands, the South
East and Yorkshire, taking their
geographic distribution far and wide. The
bulk of the new sites will be supplied from
“MFG is without a doubt one
of the largest and fastest
growing independent fuel
operators in the UK and as it
continues its own expansion
plans, we will certainly be
delighted to be part of any further
growth. We hope that this latest win
demonstrates that JET is a strong
supply partner and is 100% committed
to the future of the UK fuel retail market.”
their faith in us as a key
supplier of fuels for their
business and look
forward to a long
and fruitful
relationship with
them.
FG
Lincolnshire
sby,
rim
G
,
rs
ne
ari
M
M
We’ve been consistently
impressed with how JET
operates and, based on the
success of previous contracts
and a competitive supply deal,
the decision to choose JET as
our supplier for these
additional sites was an easy
one. We’re very much looking
forward to working with
everyone at JET over the next
five years and beyond.”
MFG
Spo
rts
ma
n,
No
tt
am
gh
in
“Since they put
pen to paper
with us my feet
have hardly
touched the ground
as we have spent the
last two months up to
the end of May completing
the re-branding process.
“This was quite an achievement to
fulfill both safely and on time when
you consider we averaged a site a day
being totally transformed into our
distinctive yellow and blue livery. Our inhouse support staff coupled with our
contractors Astley Signs, are to be
MFG THIRTY EIGHT
SENTINEL
DIESEL
JET Retail Round-up - SENTINELTM Diesel
S
ENTINEL™
diesel is JET’s
most
technologically
advanced, highperformance
diesel fuel ever made.
Dav Basra, Phillips 66 Product Quality
Manager, pictured below, is the
interface between the refinery, supply
chain and marketing functions of
the business, all the way
through to the customer; he is
responsible for ensuring all of
the product specifications,
legislation and procedures
are compliant and upto-date. He tells us
about the
development of
SENTINEL™
diesel.
“Phillips 66
currently supply
JET dealers with
the choice of
unleaded, super
unleaded and diesel
fuels; but as of May this
year, we launched JET
SENTINEL™ diesel, a
premium grade diesel, to
further their product
choice.
“Dealers have been
asking us to develop a
premium diesel product
to complement their
existing fuels mix. I was
part of the team
involved in its
THIRTY NINE SENTINELTM Diesel
development and from
the outset we wanted
a product that
stood proud in
the
marketplace
offering
discerning
customers
enhanced
properties
and ‘that little
bit extra’ in
terms of
efficiency and
performance from
our already excellent
diesel fuel.
“Specially
designed to guard
against harmful
deposits and
improve fuel
efficiency.”
“Our Humber Refinery produces
some of the highest quality retail
fuels available, meeting and
often exceeding all relevant
British Standards and
applicable European
legislation. The JET brand is
renowned for the quality of its
fuels and we are constantly
striving to develop fuels that
use technical innovations
resulting in reduced emissions,
improved engine cleaning, anticorrosion properties and better
fuel efficiency.”
Making the best
diesel even better...
Almost all mainstream fuels on
today’s forecourt contain a carefully
blended mix of additives to protect
and enhance the fine tolerances
that modern engines demand for
optimum performance.
Dav continues: “We
worked closely with
fuel additive
manufacturers
and suppliers
on the
availability of
blends that
would
optimise the
performance
of our diesel
fuel to take it to
a new level.
“We took our already
high quality diesel and
carefully enhanced it with an
optimal blend of additives all of which
contributed to us creating SENTINEL™
diesel, a product which I believe is as
good as any premium diesel you can
buy.”
What, specifically, are
the additional benefits?
The laboratory-tested formula
keeps the engine clean, improves
performance and provides excellent
corrosion control and anti-foaming
properties.
SENTINEL™ provides improved fuel
economy in older engine designs and
helps reduce emissions. In tandem, it
also maintains optimum performance in
modern direct injection engines; with
excellent injector deposit control.
SENTINEL™ diesel is available for JET
dealers to order now along with
supporting point of sale to help promote
this new, exciting product to customers.
Authorised Distributor Update
FPS EXPO 2015
A RESOUNDING
SUCCESS
T
he Federation of
Petroleum
Suppliers (FPS)
EXPO 2015 is the
leading event of
the year for the oil
distribution
industry in the UK and Republic of
Ireland. It took place this April at the
Harrogate International Centre and
was a resounding success for visitors
and exhibitors alike.
Now in its 35th year the show, which
was launched in 1980, attracted over
110 exhibitors and enjoyed a 20%
increase in visitor numbers to 1600
people over the two days compared to
the previous year.
As the most comprehensive event for
the oil distribution industry, FPS EXPO
is a key event for industry
professionals interested in everything
from wholesale oil manufacturers and
distributors, to state-of-the art products
and solutions, including storage tank
manufacturers and accessories, tanker
and commercial vehicle
manufacturers, computer technology
and a raft of support services.
Many exhibitors offered positive
feedback, and Pete George, Managing
Director of Phillips 66 UK & Ireland
Marketing, commented: “FPS EXPO
2015 was very well attended and
certainly a great success from our
perspective. Our stand was buzzing
with visitors from early until late each
day. The show provides an excellent
opportunity for us to meet face-to-face
with existing and prospective
wholesale customers.
“The refining industry is facing
challenging times but events like FPS
EXPO bring a great cross-section of the
industry together and provide a
platform for companies to shout about
their achievements and success. We’re
certainly looking forward to Liverpool in
2016!”
Dawn Shakespeare, Marketing &
Events Manager for the FPS and
organiser of the FPS EXPO 2015, said:
“This year’s event was our last year at
Harrogate and it was an even bigger
success than last year’s show with over
7000 sq. metres of exhibition space
covered, and for the first time we
expanded into Hall A. We are looking
forward to the 2016 show, which we
expect will attract even more visitors
as we are going to Liverpool Exhibition
Centre, which is due to be completed
in September 2015. I think going to a
new city has created a real buzz about
FPS EXPO 2016."
JANET
JOINS
FPS
COUNCIL
J
anet Kettlewell from awardwinning JET Authorised
Distributors, Kettlewell Fuels, has
been appointed as the new FPS
Regional Representative for
Yorkshire & the North East.
Janet, pictured
right, joins the FPS
Council, which
consists of member
representatives
from every region of
the UK and Ireland,
to ensure FPS
members in the
regions have an
industry voice both at local and national level.
Janet comments: “To be appointed regional
representative for Yorkshire and the North
East for the FPS is fantastic news. The FPS
plays a huge part in our industry and I would
like to think that I am well placed to
contribute. My role is representing peoples’
needs, taking their issues to the council and
feeding back to them. I feel that a large part
of my role is to engage with the members and
hopefully in turn, create a renewed
participation.
“We are a small JET-branded oil distributor
located near Ripon in North Yorkshire and
have been independent since we began back
in 1987. There are far fewer of the traditional
family businesses like ours, but there’s
definitely a place for us. I strongly believe that
people buy into people, and when a call
comes in to a family business, the customer
knows who they’re talking to, and that they’re
valued.
“I am committed to my new role and look
forward to helping and supporting FPS
members across the region, ensuring that
they have an industry voice and
representation at the quarterly council
meetings.”
Authorised Distributors FORTY
A
Authorised Distributor Update - Barton Petroleum, Lots to Celebrate
Barton’s JET
Depots Achieve
Platinum
Status
ll four of Barton Petroleum’s
busy oil storage and
distribution depots have
achieved the highest possible
accolade from the Federation of
Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), each
achieving the much sought after
Platinum status. The FPS Depot
Certification Scheme is one of a number
of schemes they operate, each of which
addresses key aspects of a fuel depot’s
operations. The FPS conduct a one day
survey of the site, comprehensively
covering every aspect of the running of
the depot; followed up by a detailed
report, highlighting areas of improvement
or corrective actions required. Depending
on the depot’s score, then it is awarded
the Bronze, Silver, Gold or the prestigious
Platinum status and is certified as such.
Looks like Barton hold four of a kind with
their ‘ace’ depots!
petrol business (to local garages and
golf courses) thrown in for good
measure. We run a fleet of seven
tankers, six days a week and when
needs be, seven days a week in the
winter months. Being flexible and
reliable, accommodating our customers’
needs is what this business is all about.
communication with our chosen
contractors was vital to find ways of
working that suited everyone and got
the job done. Sucklings (JET’s transport
contractor for the South of England)
were one such example of how flexible
working really came to the fore in this
job. They keep our tanks full, delivering
to us at night-time from the nearby West
London Terminal; throughout the project
they put on a larger number of smaller
delivery vehicles and used longer hoses
delivering to us from a smaller second
entrance while their main access was
restricted. All of our contractors worked
in a wholly professional manner
enabling us to deliver the project on
time, under budget and most
importantly safely, with no supply
disruptions.”
BARTON PETR
LOTS TOCELE
Watford...FPS
most improved
depot 2015
M
ark Varley, Depot Manager
at Barton Petroleum’s
Watford depot tells us how
striving for excellence
resulted in winning this coveted award.
Mark (pictured above), with over 30
years’ service with Barton Petroleum at
Watford, led his team in a project to
upgrade and update many aspects of
the depot. Mark explains: “We are a
typical JET Authorised Distributor, selling
fuels mainly for domestic and industrial
clients with a little bit of agricultural and
FORTY ONE Authorised Distributor Update
“I’m now in my third year as Depot
Manager here and having seen many
changes over the last three decades I
was keen to ensure that under my
leadership, we not only remained a top
class depot that was fit for purpose, but
excelled in all we do. To enable us to
reach those heights there were a
number of improvements to be made to
the infrastructure here at Watford.”
On time and under
budget
“The challenge in managing a complex
project such as this is two-fold; to keep
the fuel flowing and therefore enabling
the day-to-day business to continue, so
customers see no disruption to their
service; whilst at the same time making
some major structural changes to our
facilities and equipment. My way of
working is very much ‘hands-on’ and
throughout the changes, good
What’s changed?
“We looked at literally every aspect of
the site and made changes wherever
they were necessary; no stone was left
unturned! Major improvements
included a new interceptor tank
underground and a completely new
bund wall, both of which are designed to
catch any spills, meaning the site is selfcontained from that perspective. All of
the electrics were upgraded; tanks and
pipework were all re-painted and colourcoded where appropriate. A lot of the
concrete floor was replaced, new
equipment including new fuel pumps for
our own use were purchased along with
new signage for the whole site. The
lighting was also upgraded to LED types
with sensors, so they turn on at night
when a delivery is being made rather
than us having to leave the lights on all
night long. Attention to detail was not
Driving
excellence
rewarded
R
aymond Geary of Barton
Petroleum’s Leicester
Depot has been awarded
runner-up in the Federation
of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) Driver of
the Year Award 2015. Taking second
place on the podium, Ray beat off
tough competition from a record
number of entries in this year’s
competition, and was narrowly pipped
to first place by Ciaran Quinn from
Flynn Fuels, Mullingar, Ireland.
ar
dB
urt
on,
ch
Ri
BRATE
“Most
Improved Depot,
Platinum status and
Driver of the Year
finalist... plenty to
shout about!”
ro
leu
m
OLEUM
Pictured left to right are:
Russell Best, Phillips 66,
Richard Dawes, Barton Petroleum
Richard Burton, Barton Petroleum
Mark Varley, Barton Petroleum
and Tony Brown, FPS
t
Pe
n
o
art
Mana
ging Director, B
overlooked either,
we even put a new rubber mat in
the electric cupboard. Inside we
have redecorated the offices and
installed a new kitchen. Not only does
all of this work keep us compliant from a
legislative and safety perspective, but
the improvements mean we are
technologically up-to-date and generally
more efficient. Everyone has the ‘feelgood’ factor as they are delighted to be
working in a new, brighter environment.
“I was absolutely delighted when I heard
we had won FPS Most Improved Depot
2015. I always thought our team had
done a great job and we’d transformed
the site, but to have that opinion backed
up by us winning this award is a great
honour and makes all of our hard work
worthwhile,” concluded Mark.
The awards continue to ‘drive safety’
and encourage oil distributors to
promote an ethos of safe driving,
cleaner deliveries and outstanding
customer care which in turn creates
exceptional drivers capable of winning
this award.
The prestigious awards saw entrants
compete from both big and small
businesses, from all sectors of the
market and from right across the UK
for the coveted title.
Ray commented: “It is nice to be
recognised for my day-in-day-out
efforts in such a competitive arena. I
always try to offer a high quality
service for our customers and treat
safety as a priority in everything I do.
Congratulations to everyone who
entered as this shows their
commitment to safer driving; especially
well done to Ciaran, but he’ll have to
watch out as I’m aiming to park my
tanker in the top spot next year!”
Authorised Distributor Update FORTY TWO
Authorised Distributor Update - Petroleum Fleet Services
P
PFS doing well under PAR
ar Petroleum, a JET
Authorised
Distributor and
leading specialist
haulage provider
based in the North
East, is celebrating a
successful first six months of trading for its
vehicle maintenance division – Petroleum
Fleet Services (PFS).
Petroleum Fleet Services, which was
established in January this year offers all
aspects of vehicle and tanker maintenance
and repairs. Par Petroleum invested
heavily in the existing maintenance
facilities at its Houghton-le-Spring fuel
depot in Tyne & Wear to develop a purpose
built state-of-the-art ADR workshop. The
facilities are certified by the Freight
Transport Association (FTA) on the Safe
Loading Pass Scheme. Customers have the
option of either bringing their vehicles to
the depot or using PFS’ callout service.
Petroleum Fleet Services is headed up by
Workshop Manager Simon Miller, formerly
of MAN Erf based in the Jarrow terminal.
Simon is highly experienced in ADR
services and has established an excellent
reputation in the industry. Due to the
success of the first six months, an
additional member of staff has joined the
division.
Stuart Hardy, Operations Manager of
Par Petroleum Ltd, comments: “Par
Petroleum is already very well-known and
respected throughout the industry, and PFS
operates with the same ethos and level of
standards that have proved so successful
for Par over the years.
“We’re always looking for ways to diversify
into areas that complement our existing
Authorised Distributor business. Over
recent years we’ve developed the specialist
haulage arm of the business into an
established nationwide offering and it has
worked well alongside our core business.
When it became obvious there was a gap
in the regional market for ADR services,
Petroleum Fleet Services seemed like the
next logical step for Par.
“Business is going from strength to
strength and our first six months of trading
have completely surpassed our
expectations. We’ve had a very positive
response from the market throughout the
North East and hope to expand our offering
further with time.”
COMMUNITY RoSPA
SPIRITED
GOLD
Bits & Pieces...
S
o far this year, we’ve supported many local
organisations and events. Here’s a snapshot...
As part of our continued support of Armonica Consort we were delighted to help sponsor ‘AC
Does Strictly’ where 300 children from the Midlands took to the stage for a concert at the
Royal Shakespeare Company alongside professional ballroom dancing stars from the BBC’s
‘Strictly Come Dancing’, bringing the explosive glitz and glamour of the dancing world to life in
a spectacular fusion of dancing and singing.
We’ve also supported Motionhouse, an international dance and theatre company based in
Leamington Spa and Warwick. Our donation will help to fund the company’s work in the local
community and a global dance tour later this year. Local charity ‘Leamington Music’ also
received our help to fund the 2015 Leamington Music Festival Weekend, which took place in
early May.
Last but by no means least in our brief overview of our philanthropic activity, we sponsored
the Kenilworth Show on Saturday, 6th June. This is a popular family event that helps to
promote farming and local businesses in Warwickshire.
FORTY THREE ...the back page
U
K & Ireland Marketing (UKIM)
have, for the third time in a row,
scooped Gold Awards in both the
categories entered, namely
‘Occupational Safety’ and ‘Management of
Occupational Road Risk’ in the Royal
Society for the Prevention of Accidents
(RoSPA) Awards 2015.
UKIM’s HSE Advisor, Russell Best
commented: “The Gold Award is the
highest rating that can be achieved and
I’m very proud that our overarching health
and safety management systems, best
practice in leadership and workforce
involvement have been recognised once
more by RoSPA. In addition to this, our
Terminal Operations contractor at our
Bramhall Terminal has also received a
Gold Award for Safety.”