NOVEMBER 2008
Experience Harvest Energy
"A new image and a fresh outlook" is how Sectorsure Ltd Managing Director Andrew MacDonald described the rebrand of four of the groups five sites. "We were looking for a brand that would take us forward, and having been with Conoco for 17 years and BP and Total at different times we were well placed to appreciate what the Harvest Energy brand and offer would entail".
Grange Filling Station in Rayleigh, Essex, is the Sectorsure flagship site, with a volume in excess of 6 million litres per annum. During the launch of the newly branded store and image, Simon Davis, Head of Sales and Logistics at Harvest Energy, commented, "the day has been a great success, and we are delighted with all four of the completed sites. Clearly the customers have enjoyed the day".
NOVEMBER 2008
Latest Tankers Arrive
The Harvest Energy fleet increased this month, with the addition of several new cabs and tankers, carrying the unique Harvest Energy livery.
The tankers are designed to Harvest Energy's specifications, and combined with the latest in vehicle wrapping technology, are utilised to make dedicated deliveries across the UK.
OCTOBER 2008
A fourth site for Harvest Energy
With three newly branded sites up and running, a great dealer package combined with Harvest Energy's competitive stance, is it any surprise that they have signed their fourth site with the Sectorsure Group!
Andrew MacDonald, Managing Director of the Sectorsure Group says, "we took the decision to go with Harvest Energy partly due to the impressive image, which we were sure the public would like. We have not been disappointed, with sales higher, year on year, on all three rebranded sites! This has influenced our decision to go with Harvest Energy on a fourth site, and we are actively looking for additional opportunities to take forward this partnership".
JULY 2008
Three NEW Harvest Energy forecourts
Fuel supplier Harvest Energy, are pleased to announce the signing of three forecourts owned by Sectorsure Limited. All three sites are located in the South East and each site will receive full Harvest Energy branding, combined with co-ordinated pre launch advertising, offers and full launch packages.
Simon Davis, Harvest Energy's Head of Sales and Logistics said "Harvest Energy are actively looking for independent retailers and are targeting sites selling 2 million litres a year plus. Key to the success of our conversions is the refreshing brand image and the support package that we have in place for the dealer, which includes competitive and flexible deals, credit card support, pump maintenance and a reliable and customer focussed supply and delivery capability using our own uniquely branded fuel tankers".
JUNE 2008
Harvest Energy "The UK's best kept fuel secret"
Harvest Energy "The UK's best kept fuel secret" is the headline in the June issue of The Retail Motor Industry Federation's magazine 'Forecourt'. Based on an interview with Simon Davis, Head of Sales and Logistics at Harvest Energy, the feature article focuses on their latest coup which is to sign three sites in the South East of England that were previously branded Jet and which will emerge fully branded as Harvest Energy in July and August.
The article goes on to state that Harvest Energy are actively looking for independent retailers and dealers and are looking to sign up new customers, currently targeting sites selling more than 2million litres per year.
JANUARY 2008
Press Release - 10th January 2008
Blue Ocean Associates Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Group by Ion Equity.
Blue Ocean is one of the largest independent fuel businesses in the UK market, and a significant blender and supplier of fuel products internationally. The company supplies approximately 5% of all road fuels used in the UK as well as approximately 1 billion litres of blended fuel products sold internationally. Not including duty, turnover is approximately one billion.
The transaction includes the businesses of Harvest Energy in the UK and Blue Ocean Associates in Amsterdam. Harvest Energy blends and supplies fuel to a range of large customers in the UK including major supermarket chains and transport operators. Blue Ocean associates (an Amsterdam based trading business), blends gasoline for sale to markets internationally. The Company has access to considerable storage capacity and enjoys product exchange agreements with some of the major oil companies in the UK.
The principal vendor, Rick Grimm, and other senior management have reinvested a proportion of the proceeds of the sale back into the business. Colin Bannerman a former Senior Executive with Chevron and Texaco has been appointed as Chief Executive of the business and is also an investor in the business. He will augment the already strong management team which will be remaining in place.
Speaking today, Neil O'Leary, Chief Executive of Ion Equity, said that the company had been exploring acquisition opportunities in the UK fuels market for some time: "we believe that there are significant investment opportunities in the fuels business internationally. Many of the major international fuel companies are refocusing their efforts on upstream opportunities (exploration and production) and emerging markets. This opens the possibility of acquiring good fuel and infrastructure assets in leading economies."
"Blue Ocean Associates has a proven business model and has been at the forefront of the developing bio-fuels market in the UK. Together with its strong management team and valued client base, this positions the company strongly for future growth."
O'Leary said that the company was an ideal platform from which to build a major UK and international fuels business: "We're very ambitious for this business. We've already committed to plans to expand operations and we're exploring the possibility of some interesting bolt-on acquisitions that can help us to drive this business forward. We'll look at opportunities in Ireland, in the UK or in Europe if we believe they will add value."
Colin Bannerman, incoming CEO, said that the new company would be a major force for competition in the UK fuels market: "the ability to supply competitively produced fuel into the UK market has been a key factor in the success of Blue Ocean to date and that will continue to be the cornerstone of our strategy. Furthermore the new ownership structure will place the business in a stronger position to serve its customers in today's volatile oil and financial markets."
Rick Grimm, principal vendor, said that he was delighted that the company was now positioned to grow strongly based on further investment: "Ion Equity knows the fuel business and has the capability of bringing substantial investment to support the further growth of this business. This is a very exciting time for Blue Ocean and everybody involved with it."
Ion Equity is an Irish headquartered private equity firm with offices in Dublin and London. Key investments by the company in recent years include the establishment of Topaz Energy Ltd, which owns and operates the former retail and fuels distribution businesses of both Shell and Statoil in Ireland and the acquisition of SWS Group - a leading alternative energy supplier and business process outsourcer in Ireland.