Sterling Petroleum’s Success with Gulf

Supported by Gulf Retail, 37-year-old Nakendram Piratheepan is successfully transforming small and sometimes run down forecourts across Wales and the South-West into thriving businesses. He has already built a portfolio of 10 sites and promises that there’s more to come, yet!

  • Profits have surged from £100k to £500k in three years, with a substantial contribution from Gulf’s premium grade fuel.
  • Mid Glam Service Station has grown to pump over 2 million litres annually, with turnover of £20k+ per week from the shop and £1,000 per week from the car wash.
  • Bourton-on-the-Hill forecourt is achieving over 3 million litres pumped annually with £20k+ weekly shop revenue.

Discover the success of Nakendram’s Gloucestershire-based company, Sterling Petroleum LTD, then contact the Gulf team to learn how we can support your thriving business.

Gulf UK's role in transforming Sterling Petroleum's forecourts

Gulf retail partnership: a catalyst for growth

With Gulf’s support, Sterling Petroleum has boosted sales in their Mid-Glam Service Station  in Aberdare.

This service station now pumps over 2 million litres per annum, has a shop turnover of £20k per week and generates £1000 per week from the car wash. It is an impressive transformation of a site that was closed and with zero revenue.

At Mid Glam, Nakendram spent every available hour working on the forecourt to understand the business and the community it serves. He invested heavily, upgrading the forecourt, installing new tanks, pumps, offering fuel cards and creating a modern Londis convenience store.

 

Nakendram expresses great satisfaction in exceeding volume targets at one of his Gulf partnered forecourts in Bourton-on-the-hill.

“Nothing gives me more pleasure than to phone Sam or National Accounts Manager, Nicola McKeown when we exceed our volume targets as we did recently at Bourton-on-the-Hill. We estimated 2m litres and are currently over 3m with £20k plus a week shop revenue.”

Access to Gulf’s innovative technology

Gulf UK is dedicated to innovation. Gulf Oil UK has been awarded the Best Oil Company Initative at the Forecourt Trader Awards for four consecutive years (2020-2023), notably for our exclusive Foresite tool, which retailers like Nakendram have had great success with.

“The technology allows us to smoothly manage the business from a single point.”

Foresite  is a powerful telemetry system that enhances fuel, shop, and car wash sales performance for our retailers, providing a significant boost to business operations. By joining Gulf UK, you can leverage this cutting-edge technology and drive your success in the industry.

Enhanced customer retention and acquisition

Customers are encouraged to participate in Gulf Oomph loyalty scheme , which helps drive repeat business and shop sales, despite the cost-of-living crisis, “Motorists are having to be so much more price conscious to manage their monthly budgets and now even a 1ppl differential at the pumps is influencing behaviour. With Gulf we have a respected brand, the new image is popular with customers and Gulf’s Oomph loyalty scheme adds an extra dimension to our promotional activity.”

Support with balancing forecourt costs

The rise in utility bills is a concern that can be overwhelming for many independent fuel retailers. However, with Gulf, retailers like Nakendram have been able to keep these costs under control, “It is far from ideal to see utilities soaring and we are working alongside Gulf to contain these.”

Trusting & understanding business needs

Gulf’s is committed to adding value to each forecourt, meaning we’re dedicated working hard with our retailers, ensuring they feel understood in the ever-changing landscape of the fuel retail industry, “Gulf offers strong margins, flexible delivery arrangements, good credit terms and a commitment to reduce our costs and drive-up revenues. From the tanker drivers and order office through to the company’s management, it is a partnership of trust and understanding.”

Charting the future of Sterling Petroleum

As an ambitious Managing Director, Nakendram notes how his team look to expand across the UK: “We have a fantastic team, all committed to the cause and eager to play a part in our expansion. We have taken rapid growth in our stride and there is no reason why this should not continue.”

With the Sterling Team eager to make stride in the fuel industry, Nakendram also plans to keep his team and customers happy to ensure future success across the Sterling Petroleum forecourts, “We want our workplace to always be a happy place because that will transfer through to our customers and we all know in this frenetic business that there is nothing more important than a contented customer.”

Aligned with Gulf’s vision for improving the retail fuel industry, Nakendram also shares his personal goals, “I want to be a driving force of positive change in our industry.”

Nakendram also emphasizes his ongoing commitment to supporting charities that hold significance for the Sterling Petroleum team, “We give 10% of our profits to charity each year, relying upon the input of our staff to determine which worthy causes we support. It is so rewarding for all of us when we see the impact, for example, of helping children in the UK with autism to thrive.”

Join Gulf UK

Unlock new opportunities for your business by joining the Gulf network. Whether you’re looking for growth, support, or innovation, Gulf is dedicated to helping you achieve your business goals.

Excited about partnering with Gulf, one of the UK’s fastest-growing forecourt brands?

Take the next step towards a prosperous partnership with Gulf and start your journey towards success!

Certas Energy Independent Forecourt Retailers Revealed as Finalists in Forecourt Trader Awards

Oliver Blake pictured outside of his business, Oasis Services in Long Riston in Hull.
Tom Buckley pictured outside of his business, Wivelsfield Service Station in East Sussex.
Elliot Wallis pictured outside of his business, Wallis & Son in Barton, Cambridgeshire.
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Gulf Independent Forecourt Retailers Revealed as Finalists in Forecourt Trader Awards

Three Gulf forecourts have beaten competition from more than 300 rivals to be named finalists in the prestigious Forecourt Trader Awards 2024.

The industry awards celebrate the best independent forecourt retailers across the UK.

Three forecourt retailers supplied by Certas Energy – Oasis Services in Hull, Wivelsfield Service Station in East Sussex, and Wallis & Son in Cambridge – have been named as finalists.

Oasis Services has been selected as a finalist for the Best Community Engagement category.

Oliver Blake, who is the third generation to run the forecourt and SPAR convenience store in Long Riston, Hull, said: “Being a finalist is fantastic news! For the Oasis team, our community focus and fundraising never stop. It’s very much embedded into our way of life on site, and we’re thrilled to see our efforts recognised. Without the hard work of my team, we wouldn’t have gotten this far so huge thanks goes to them”

Twice a year, the business donates £1,000 to good causes, including community groups, schools and churches, through Gulf’s award-winning Oomph loyalty platform. Annually, the site hosts fundraising events that help causes reach fundraising targets that allow them to unlock further matched funding.

Wivelsfield Service Station in East Sussex has been selected as a finalist for the London & South East up to 4mlpa category.

Wivelsfield Service Station is one of ten sites owned by Tap Retail Limited.

Tom Buckley, co-owner of Tap Retail, describes Wivelsfield Service Station as ‘providing a personal, local ‘farm shop’ feel, but with supermarket value.’ Within less than two months, it was transformed from an abandoned car dealership into the go-to supermarket for locals doing their weekly shop, as well as offering the most competitive fuel prices within three miles.

Tom said: “The Wivelsfield site has become our flagship store, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far. To be recognised as a finalist is testament to the commitment of the team to turn the site around and make it thrive. We’re all over the moon!

“Going forward, we aim to make Wivelsfield a community hub where people can meet friends or arrange to take visitors.”

Wallis & Son in Cambridge has been selected as a finalist for the Midlands up to 4mlpa category.

Elliot Wallis, managing director of Wallis & Son in Barton, is the third generation of the Wallis family to operate the site. 

He said: “We’re thrilled to be finalists! We see the local Cambridge community as an extension of our family. We believe that if you take care of the community, they’ll take care of you. So to be recognised as one of the best sites in our region is really special.”

Following a £250,000 renovation, the shop has more than doubled in size to welcome two unique offerings – a pet section and an American food section.  

The shop now supplies pet food for small animals, birds and fish, along with raw meats, collars, leads and pet toys. 

Jessica Lilley, retail marketing manager at Certas Energy, which supplies fuel to all three sites, said: “We’re delighted to see three of our independent sites receive this recognition. The competition is fierce – both in the Forecourt Trader Awards and out in the market today. But the innovation and passion that Mr Blake, Mr Buckley and Mr Wallis each bring to their operations is truly admirable.

“We’ve worked closely with the teams at Oasis, Wivelsfield and Wallis & Son for a number of years and have seen first-hand the hard work that they put in. They’re all winners in our eyes and we hope the judges agree with us on night of the ceremony!”

More than 300 businesses entered the coveted awards which have been established to recognise excellence in everything from best in region to community engagement and sustainability.  The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 10 in London.

For more information about Certas Energy go to certasenergy.co.uk  

For more contact Bethany Lee   on 0161 694 3977 or at bethany@weareic.com

Editors notes

Certas Energy supplies fuel to more than 1,200 service stations and bunker sites across the UK. 

It boasts a modern fleet of over 900 vehicles and a local network of 150 depots, which provide forecourts with deliveries in a range of quantities and frequencies to suit their needs.   

It supplies high quality unleaded, diesel, super unleaded and super diesel as well as a wide range of fuel-related products and services including gas oil to kerosene and fuel monitoring.  

Certas owns the Gulf and Pace brands, offering strong brand recognition for consumers. Sites are operated by Certas Energy or independent businesses.  

Certas Energy Expo Awards Press Release

Janagha Wafa receives the Special Recognition Award at the Gulf Roadside Services EXPO & Awards 2024, pictured with presenter Ben Hanlin
(l-r) Nicola McKeown, National Accounts Manager Certas; Darren Brown, PDI technologies; Pauline Scott, Manager at Oasis; Jenny Lockwood, Head of Retail Dealer Certas; presenter Ben Hanlin.
Easwaran Surean won the Best Gulf award at the Gulf Roadside Services EXPO & Awards 2024
Brian McLean (left) and Steve Manklow (right) receive the Best Pace award at the Gulf Roadside Services EXPO & Awards 2024
Zarfeen (left) and Ali Sadrudin (right) receive the Best Truck Stop Award, pictured with presenter Ben Hanlin
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The country’s best service stations honoured at top industry awards

The best service stations across the country have been honoured at a top industry awards.

Six businesses were recognised at the Gulf Roadside Services EXPO & Awards which took place in Chester on Thursday, March 21.

The winners were: Brooksend Service Station in Birchington, Kent (Best Gulf); Star Fuels in Peacehaven, East Sussex (Best Pace); Attenborough Service Station in Attenborough, Nottinghamshire (Most Improved); Greens Service Station in Burnley, Lancashire and Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Special Recognition); Oasis Garage in Long Riston, Hull, (Best Oomph); and Red Lion Truck Stop in Harpole, Northampton (Best Truck Stop).

The national awards are organised by Certas Energy’s Roadside Services division, which supports more than 400 service station sites across the UK, many of which are small, independent businesses.

Richard Billington, Managing Director of Certas Roadside Services, said: “These awards are our way of celebrating the small businesses which show great business acumen and innovation in a tough industry.

“Being a small business owner can be very challenging and you can often feel quite isolated, so this is our way of thanking the teams that make up a network of service stations that keep our country moving.”

Husband and wife duo, Zarfeen and Ali Sadrudin run the The Red Lion Truck Stop, on Weedon Road, Northampton, which was named winner of the Best Truck Stop Award.

They were recognised for the impressive range of services available at their truck stop, including 220 truck parking spaces, a restaurant and bar with international cuisine, 24/7 shop, truck wash, and even gaming facilities.

A firm favourite of HVG drivers from far and wide, The Red Lion is one of the most popular service partners on the SNAP network, a payment system which enables HGV operators, managers and drivers to use cashless transactions across Certas Energy’s bunker network to pay for secure parking and truck wash facilities.

Zarfeen, 40, said: “We’re ecstatic! This has been 17 years in the making. In the early days, it was really challenging when Ali and I were running everything as a duo, but now we have a fantastic team in place. We couldn’t have done this without their hard work. Every push to keep improving has been worth it.”

Malcolm Blake and his son Oliver, who run Oasis Garage on Long Riston Bypass, were named the winners of the ‘Best Oomph’ award for the second year running.

They were presented with the award for fantastic customer service and promotion of the Certas Oomph loyalty card scheme, which has seen a 35percent increase in engagement.

Malcolm, 65, said: “We are really thrilled to have won this award for the second year running.

“It’s a testament to our fantastic staff who put all the hard work in.”

Janagha Wafa, who owns Greens Service Stations in Burnley and Nottingham, was named as the winner of the Special Recognition Award.

Jan acquired the site in Nottingham in 2014 followed by Burnley in 2020, which underwent major redevelopment before reopening in 2022.

Despite delays caused by the COVID pandemic, the new site was opened in September 2022 and has gone on to achieve 3ML fuel sales in the first year of trading – something the team expected to reach within four years.

Jan, who is a father of six, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised – I am very proud. It’s been a long two years and we’ve done a lot of work to complete the project, but now it’s going really, really well. 

“We wouldn’t have achieved it without a lot of support from everyone, from the Certas Team to our staff and site manager, Sayeed Abdul Bashir. 

“We’ve had a great response from the local community – we are serving 800 customers a day and we have nothing but excellent reviews online. We are proud to provide an excellent service for the community.”

He added: “I never imagined as a young boy in Afghanistan that I would be one day standing on a stage receiving an award for my business. It meant so, so much to me.”

Jan, 54, came over the UK when he was just 17. He worked his way up to part own a service station in Birmingham, before buying his own service stations in Peterborough, then Nottingham and Burnley.

Attenborough Service Station was awarded the ‘Most Improved’ award at the event. Recently the site has undergone a complete refit with new pumps, and opens for 24 hours. They have also partnered with Carrs Pasties, a Yorkshire Business that supplies freshly made pastries to the shop.  

Owner Nakendram Piratheepan, known as Theepan, 38, said: “This award is down to the team of people I who support me, from the staff at the service stations to the team at Gulf – my team is my success, there is no other way to say it.

“We have put a lot of effort into giving it a complete refit and making sure it gives people what they want.”

Theepan, who is the director of Stirling Petrolium Ltd, which has 23 sites across the country, added:

“It has been an exciting and very rewarding few years but definitely still work in progress. We have a fantastic team, all committed to the cause and eager to play a part in our expansion.”

Steve Manklow, who runs Star Fuels in Peacehaven, Sussex, was named as the winner of the Best Pace category.

Steve, who has run the business for 25 years, won the award for Star Fuel’s outstanding retail offering which has been described as a ‘true local supermarket in the community of Peacehaven’. 

Steve said: “Honestly, I’m over the moon! We were delighted just to be invited to the EXPO. As a little garage on the south coast of England to be nominated and then to actually win has been surreal. We’re just the little guys but this is the biggest thing to happen to us in 25 years!”

“Every day I wake up and I’m very lucky to be living my dream of running an amazing business. None of this would be possible without my wife, Lorraine and my amazing and incredibly hard-working team, in particular my right-hand man, our Area Manager, Brian McLean.”

Easwaran Surean, who runs Brooksend Service Station in Kent, was named as the winner of the Best Gulf category. He has run the business for four years with his wife, Sivasakthi. They won the award for turning the once neglected site around, undergoing a full renovation, installing new amenities and achieving 451% growth. 

With more than 30 years of petrol retailing experience, Easwaran said: “After buying the petrol station in 2020, we’re thrilled to have turned it around after a long time with no investment. It’s brilliant to see the site thriving. We’re so grateful to our hard-working team for all their support.”

The awards were presented at a special ceremony held at Carden Park in Chester on Thursday, March 21, which gave independent service station owners the opportunity to meet their contemporaries. It was also an opportunity to learn about future renewable energy solutions, such as the launch of EvoUltra, renewable diesel for retail sites, and Evolo, Certas’s new EV charging solution.

The awards sponsors included CMS, Petroassist, Metro, PDI and SNAP.

About Certas Energy

Certas Energy supplies fuel to more than 1,200 service stations and bunker sites across the UK. It boasts a modern fleet of over 900 vehicles and a local network of 150 depots, which provide forecourts with deliveries in a range of quantities and frequencies to suit their needs.

It supplies high quality unleaded, diesel, super unleaded and super diesel as well as a wide range of fuel-related products and services including gas oil to kerosene and fuel monitoring.

Certas owns the Gulf and Pace brands, offering strong brand recognition for consumers. Sites are operated by Certas Energy or independent businesses.