Back in 1994, Tony Blair was Prime Minister, Wet Wet Wet were riding high in the charts with Love is all Around, Forrest Gump and Four Weddings and a Funeral were released, and the popular sitcom, Friends, hit our screens for the first time. All this while David Penny was searching for, and found, his first petrol forecourt business.
David, originally from Oxford, was looking for somewhere to live, work and raise his family and settled on a site in Powburn, Northumberland and that’s where the Penny Petroleum story begins.
Hedgeley Services, as it was called, offered everything David was looking for including the Old Station House, which was originally David’s home and is now the Penny Petroleum Head Office.
From those humble beginnings in Powburn, the company now employs over 1000 colleagues and owns 94 filling stations, a couple of hotels, two individual car wash sites, and a farm shop! Having also recently expanded its Food2Go offering, it has a turnover fast approaching £400 million and are set to have an estate of 100 sites by the end of 2024! Not bad for a business that is still owned by the Penny family and continues to be led by its founder and CEO David Penny.
There have been so many changes over the last 30 years; so, what is it that has put Penny Petroleum at the forefront of this extremely competitive market and placed them, for the last two years, in the Top 5 of the Top 50 Independent Forecourt Traders Report?
“Diversification is key” said David Penny, “The forecourt is changing not just because of electric, or hydrogen, powered vehicles; there have been lifestyle changes too, some brought about by the pandemic. There’s also been, more recently, the cost-of-living crisis to contend with. However, we have always been steadfast in our approach in recognising the important role our people and our partnerships play in attracting customers and that has held us in good stead. A good business needs good people and good partnerships to move forward!”
And the plan for the next 30 years? More of the same! With the target of being the ‘ultimate’ convenience for colleagues, customers, and our partners under the new banner of “Penny on the Move”.
“I am proud of the business we have created and I’m very proud of our colleagues, many of whom have been with us for several years. I’d just like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone that has been part of our journey so far and say we are well and truly ‘on the move’ and looking forward to the next 30 years!”
It sounds like Penny Petroleum is all set to continue their journey and is going places!
