business success 21 in association with


It’s time to deliver more than just fuel


In the first in a series of articles supported by Barclays Corporate and profiling local businesses, The Business Magazine’s Alison Dewar focuses on the WP Group


Strong, different, independent, cutting edge and forward thinking are not normally words associated with a market that is as mature and traditional as that of fuel oil distribution. So how does one take a business in this industry forward, creating a fresh new image and a company that is bucking all the trends? That’s what The Business Magazine asked WP Group managing director David Fairchild (pictured).


Based at Esso’s Fawley oil refinery, the WP Group has an impressive 50-year trading history, with origins stretching back to when Southampton Oil Supplies began. In 1962, the company became an Esso distributor and acquired Solent Petroleum Distributors, achieving such success that by 1970, the business was selling 10 million gallons of Esso Blue. Wessex Petroleum holdings then became the holding company for Southampton and Solent and at that time also took over Hants and Berks Oil Service.


In 1999 the Fairchild family, former owners of Minister Fuels, bought Wessex Petroleum. In a decade, the Fairchilds built the company to over 140m litres of supplied fuel per year, with a turnover in excess of £160 million, and associations with two of the world’s biggest brands in Esso and Mobil.


Despite its achievements, David Fairchild recognised that within Wessex Petroleum there were a number of divisions not being reflected by the regional title. To achieve real growth in any of these markets Wessex Petroleum had to change, so Fairchild brought in Darren Borras, who had formerly managed Chevron’s lubricants division. His role was to review the business, lead the restructuring and drive through business change.


Since then, Borras and his team have developed the new WP Group brand and implemented a sector led strategy. Borras commented as one of only


three Mobil strategic distributors in the UK it’s important that we represent Mobil as they would themselves, the move to become the WP Group supports this alignment with such a recognisable brand. By understanding the customers’ marketplace and requirements, the new WP approach enhances the Group’s offering to provide a complete portfolio of products and bespoke solutions across each of WP’s markets.


Headed by dedicated business managers with expertise in their fields, each sector is structured for greater involvement with customers. The new WP business model allows the sectors to evolve and grow independently, for teams to increase and success to be shared by those involved.


Emphasis at WP is firmly placed on delivering excellence and performance, not only from the fuels and lubricants but through quality, innovations and service provided.


Fairchild explained: “Each sector in the WP Group is now strongly branded and offers the customer a dedicated resource staffed by specialists who can give advice, providing customers with options rather than simply giving a price and delivering a product. Fuel is a commodity and it is all too easy to slip into a routine.“


In this turbulent economic environment, why would WP Group want to change a successful business when expansion has been the cause for some companies spreading themselves too thinly?


Fairchild said: “This was the right time for us, it was the natural next step for the business to move in and although there were challenges, the staff at WP embraced it in a positive manner and it seems the market was ready for us to change too.“


December 2010 saw WP Group launch its new website to applause both within the traditional and sometimes staid fuel oil distributor community and externally. Borras, now the Group’s commercial director, commented: “It is a credit to the hard work that the team put in that the new branding is getting such positive response from customers, suppliers and the competition.“


During 2011 the WP Group took the decision to change its banking partner to Barclays Corporate as it felt that they were best placed to support the ongoing expansion. It wasn’t just forward-facing marketing that needed to rebrand, inwardly was a massive investment in time, money and resource, with each of the WP fleet of vehicles being re-sprayed. Not satisfied with just rebranding, the board also heavily invested in the purchase of new vehicles to substantially increase the


size of the overall fleet and added an experienced group logistics manager to further the operational support.


One of the divisions in the new group to have a makeover was the domestic heating sector, a notoriously aggressive market to operate within, but WP faced this with its new found confidence, taking a no-nonsense approach to its clear, clean-looking website.


Researching what its customers wanted, WP Heating developed weprovideheating.co.uk, creating a humorous character-based online campaign, introducing a family of oil users that will work across all mediums.


This is a company that believes in its product offering, the quality of its service and its place among a plethora of national and multi- nationals.


Looking ahead, Fairchild is keen to build further on the company’s impressive credentials, concluding: “Family run businesses like ours are still here driving the fuel distribution industry forwards into the future.


“These changes have seen us take a big step forward. This industry has been my life – and still is; I remain passionate about it. I believe there will always be a place in the market for the independent fuel oil distributor that has strong customer focus and a quality product. Taking this stance in the market will command respect and build consumer confidence.“


Details:


WP Group Group marketing manager 0800-980-6172 marketing@thewp-group.co.uk www.thewp-group.co.uk www.weprovideheating.co.uk


Ian Workman Head of Solent & Dorset Barclays Corporate 07775-543496 Ian.workman@barclayscorporate.com


Barclays Corporate is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiaries. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England. Registered Number 1026167. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered Number 122702. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – FEBRUARY 2012 www.businessmag.co.uk


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