There was a briefing in the morning that included code words so volunteers could understand any sudden issues without alarming those present. ""We felt part of the security team and helped alert the services to someone that no one recognised.""
Valero volunteers with the RBLI regularly and McMaster believes that this will strengthen the company's relationship with the charity.
We were happy to step up at such short notice. Having marshalled before, we know how to be coordinated in a team. We had an idea of what would be expected and how to liaise with each other and the charity organisers. It made us feel worthy to be there.
The RBLI's Pedder was pleased with the Valero contribution to the Queen's visit. ""I want to send a massive thank you to you and your colleagues for your fantastic help. You were an immense help with keeping the crowds contained and happy and also being our eyes and ears.""
Valero Energy Ltd has won a new long-term agreement to supply 115 Co-op petrol filling stations. The contract extension includes the supply of fuel to 31 new-look Co-op branded locations from mid-2020.
Valero - which has worked with Co-op since 2005 - will manage the supply of fuel to Co-op forecourts through auto-replenishment, with fuel being supplied via Valero's Pembroke Refinery and its network of terminals across the UK.
Andrew Cox, Valero's director of sales and marketing, said, ""We're thrilled to announce the extension of our agreement with Co-op, which confirms Valero as the retailer's principal fuel supplier. We've worked very successfully together for many years and we're very excited about this new phase of our relationship. Valero can be relied upon to support Co-op's forecourts with quality fuels, security of supply and an industry leading delivery service.""
Eddie Jenkinson, national fuels manager, Co-op, said, ""We're pleased to build on our relationship with Valero. Petrol filling stations are at the heart of local life, a community hub for fuel and food needs, and a strong, long-term partnership is key to delivering what our Members and customers want and need, conveniently. The Co-op is also committed to creating value in its communities, and contributing to local life, and so we look forward to working with Valero on a number of charitable and volunteering projects which will make a difference locally.""
It's been a busy year for Valero, who market in the UK fuel under the Texaco brand, and its volunteers. From bake-offs to bulb planting, car washing to cycling, many Valero employees have given back to the community in 2019, supporting and raising funds for numerous charities along the way.
A recent event involved a number of Valero volunteers helping marshal 100 horse riders at an annual event in Knole Park, Kent. The popular event by permission of Lord Sackville gave horse riders a rare opportunity to ride through the historic National Trust grounds. Money raised from sponsorship is donated to the Bradbourne Riding for the Disabled Association who provide therapy and enjoyment for people with disabilities.
In October, a Halloween themed Macmillan bake-off took place at Valero's head office in Canary Wharf, giving employees the opportunity to impress their colleagues with their baking skills and more importantly, raise funds for the charity.
Plus, there are a number of festive themed events planned to finish off the year including the East End Community Foundation children's Christmas present book appeal and the Community Links children's toy appeal, where Valero employees donate books and toys for disadvantaged children living in East London.
A new event on the Valero volunteer's calendar for December is organising and funding the Community Links children's Christmas party, which will be held for 5-11 year olds. Valero volunteers will also be attending two seniors luncheons in London where the guests will enjoy a Christmas dinner and party.
To end the year, Valero's head office will hold a charity Christmas jumper day to continue their fundraising efforts, whilst busily planning a calendar of events to continue supporting charities and our communities in 2020.
Valero has had its eye on the aviation supply business at Birmingham Airport since 2012. Not only is it the largest airport in the Midlands, it is less than 12 miles from the company's Kingsbury Terminal, which receives aviation fuel directly by pipeline from Valero's Pembroke refinery.
Birmingham already had two incumbent fuel suppliers – Shell and World Fuel Services – that own tanks and into-plane facilities. However, there are very high entry barriers that prevents new market entrants - any newcomer would have to invest in infrastructure to store and deliver product, as well as build and staff new offices.
But the airport authorities have stepped in. ""For the sake of the airlines, competition, growth of the airport and to create a level playing field, airports are building tank farms that anyone can access at a published rate. This is what has happened at Birmingham,"" said Jason Oliver, Valero's marketing manager for their aviation and bunkers business.
The new facility means that the airport is more competitively supplied and has extra supply resilience, should the existing facilities be unable to cope. The challenge for Valero is that we have to drive the volume growth within the capacity constraints of the new facility, Oliver added.
Valero now has a through-put contract with Birmingham Airport Limited (BAL), the airport operator, and another with Menzies, an independent fuel-farm and into-plane operator, which has the concession for fuel delivery within the airport. ""With the airport close to our Kingsbury Terminal, we can supply equity product using Valero-branded trucks operated by Wincanton.""
Texaco UKThe new facility has been operational for a year and has two other users.
We are really pleased to have gained our first airline contract in Birmingham from 1 October 2019. This is the second new airport we have managed to get into as Valero, after Belfast International Airport in March 2017. Our restriction is only the size of the BAL facility. We can meet new growth in airline business having our terminal so close to the airport. Valero is working closely with Menzies and the airport to grow towards a brighter future.""
With summer holidays now a distant memory and before the busy Christmas period takes over, we've come up with some ideas on how to make the most of autumn. From taking long walks in the colour-changing forest to making autumn crafts with the children, make autumn your new favourite season!
Jump in the car, dig out those wellies and head for the forest to see all the beautiful autumn colours in their full glory. Kids will love jumping in leaf piles, collecting conkers and pine cones, and building a forest den. Check out the wildlife from deers rutting to squirrels rummaging for food. If you fancy exploring somewhere new, National Trust have numerous places to visit, and don't forget you can redeem your Star Rewards Points for a National Trust e-code through Love2shop.
Put to good use the multi-coloured leaves, conkers and pine cones collected in your forest outings! Children love making collages of leaves and twigs and why not let them try some leaf rubbing? Grab a crayon and some paper, turn the leaf vein side up and rub over the leaf. Or how about drawing a hedgehog and using twigs to create its spikes?
Fancy yourself as an amateur photographer? Autumn is an ideal time to dust off the camera and take some nature photos. Don't dismiss overcast days as a grey sky can contrast well with the bright leaf colours.
For a change of scenery, take a walk at a nearby beach and take the dog along. Now the summer visitors have been and gone, the beach is a peaceful place for a walk in the autumn.
The change in season is an excellent excuse for a shopping trip and with the constant threat of winter approaching, it's an ideal time to get your wardrobe 'winter ready'. Whether it be treating yourself to a new winter coat or updating last year's coat with a new scarf, don't forget you can redeem your Star Rewards Points for Love2shop reward codes which can be exchanged for gift cards and digital e-codes for numerous high street brands including John Lewis, Debenhams and M&S.
Patterson M1 Service Station in Dungannon, County Tyrone, is the latest site to join the Texaco brand, having previously sold BP fuel. The switch is the latest success in Northern Ireland for Texaco, as sites continue to move to a brand that offers heritage, quality and reliability. At 10,000 sq ft, the Dungannon site will be one of the largest Texaco forecourts in the region, capturing commuters and commercial traffic heading along the main route into and out of Belfast.
Site owner, George Patterson, switched to Texaco because of the competitive fuel package offered by Valero, who market fuel under the strong Texaco brand. Being the owner of an existing Texaco site, Patterson Oil Centra, George had already seen the benefits of being under the Texaco brand for his business.
"Texaco products have been sold in the UK for over 100 years and today Valero Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation, markets fuel in the UK and Ireland under the Texaco brand.
From motor fuels to domestic heating oil, loyalty cards and fuel cards, Texaco products and services are known for their high quality, reliability and performance. There are around 800 Texaco-branded service stations in the UK, owned and operated by independent retailers, making it the largest independent branded chain of service stations in the country. There is an extensive network of authorised Texaco distributors supplying a wide range of customers, particularly in more rural locations.
Valero in the UK employs around 770 people and many thousands more are employed in Texaco branded retail businesses across the UK. Over the last few years, Texaco branded service stations have accounted for a growing percentage of service stations in the country and the company is committed to increasing its network of branded retailers and distributors.
Valero refines crude oil at its refinery in Pembroke, south west Wales. The refinery began operations in 1964 and today it is one of the largest manufacturers of fuels in northwest Europe, with throughput of 270,000 barrels of crude oil each day. Valero’s Pembroke refinery is one of the leading employers in south Wales and is one of Europe’s largest and most complex refineries.
In addition to the refinery, Valero has ownership interests in four major pipelines, six UK fuel terminals and a 13,000-barrel-per-day aviation fuels business.
The company supplies fuel products to its UK customers via its fuel terminals and pipeline infrastructure. We additionally supply fuel from a number of third party owned terminals throughout the UK.
Wincanton is contracted to deliver through their tanker fleet, providing a safe and reliable service. The drivers are employed by Wincanton, who ensure they are some of the most well trained and knowledgeable drivers in the industry.
Our fuel distribution service is open 362 days a year and operates a 24 hour service during weekdays. We take accountability for all customer problems and set ourselves a one hour turnaround for all customer enquiries.
Both occupational and process safety is integrated into every facet of Valero operations. Valero’s occupational health and safety programme is successful because it is developed, supported and carried out by all employees, from executive management to the newest hire.
The company’s process safety programme instils safety and reliability at every facility to push beyond regulatory compliance to operational excellence.
Valero plays an active role in the life and spirit of the communities in which we live and work, by investing in projects that will make a positive difference to the quality of life. We support a number of national charities and charities local to our operations in London and Pembroke. The company also has an active volunteering culture and in 2014 completed over 6,000 voluntary hours for local and national charities in the UK.
Texaco service stations were one of the first to introduce ultra low sulphur petrol and diesel in the UK. Furthermore, Valero believes that biofuels will play an increasingly important role in transportation fuels. The company has 10 state-of-the-art ethanol plants in the US, making it the first traditional refiner to enter production of ethanol.
Valero also has investments in several companies working to commercialise emerging alternative biofuels. We have achieved significant emission reductions and made improvements in producing cleaner-burning petrol, diesel and ethanol-blended fuels.
Park Garage Group (PGG) has agreed a long-term extension to their relationship with Valero, whilst also adding another four Texaco-branded locations to its portfolio. This brings the total number of Texaco-branded PGG sites to 44.
The new sites are all located in the south east of England with Park Sutton Valance, Park Beckenham and Park Tudor based in Kent and Park Sydenham based in London. The four sites, previously branded BP, will stock all grades of fuel including Supreme and will be supplied by Grays Terminal on the Thames.
Hemant Tandon, Park Garage Group Operations Director, said, “We've been working with Valero for over 30 years now and our relationship has incredibly strong foundations. When it came to extending our relationship with them and adding four new Texaco sites to the portfolio, we did not hesitate. Valero's dedication to helping us to meet our goals has never been in doubt and I'm sure we have many more successful years ahead of us."
Andrew Cox, Valero's director of sales and marketing, said, “The extension and growth of our agreement with Park Garage Group has further strengthened a relationship that spans over three decades. We're delighted to see them go from strength to strength and they can rest assured that we will continue to support their business as we have always done – with 100 percent commitment. It's also great to see that the Texaco brand remains the brand of choice for the majority of the Park Garage Group's sites."
Hemant and Manoj Tandon of PGG are continually looking for ways to improve and modernise the services they offer and provide a better overall customer experience. As part of these improvements, they recently decided to re-brand their park & shop stores after 25 years. The new park & shop brand will be introduced onto the four new Texaco sites this year and is due to be rolled out across the remaining PGG sites over the first half of next year.
All the sites offer contactless car valet services, including a jet wash, car wash, air water tower and vacuum. The service, has seen a higher sales revenue than in previous years and has led to the service being implemented across all of the PGG sites. PGG has also seen significant growth from the sale of vaping products. As a result, they have recently introduced vape units into a quarter of their sites and are planning on adding these to the shop floor of all their sites over the next year.
Petrol near meHemant went on to say, “We're extremely excited to be introducing our new park & shop brand and looking forward to seeing the fresher, more modern brand image displayed across our sites. I'm sure that the new branding, alongside the strong Texaco image will be a winning combination."
Another brand new service station has been opened by Kay Group Limited, which will supply fuel under the Texaco brand. The site at Dobshill in Flintshire brings the total number of Kay Group sites under the Texaco brand to fifteen.
The impressive one and a half acre site is the Kay Group's 5th Texaco-branded new build to have opened in the last 6 years and offers a Londis convenience store, Greggs and Subway. In addition, there's a seven bay valeting centre with five jet washes, front of shop customer parking and bespoke external seating area to compliment the instore food to go offers. A Costa Drive-thru is also in the process of being built by the Kay Group and will open in November 2022, which is sure to increase foot fall to the site.
The Kay Group have 15 of their 22 sites branded with Texaco and the extension of their relationship over the years is testament to the trust they have in the brand to deliver a first-class service to their customers.
Ken Kay, owner and CEO of The Kay Group, said, "Our relationship with Valero goes back to 2010 when they first started supplying our head office site, Kay Grimshaw Park in Blackburn, followed a few months later by Kay Primrose Garage in Clitheroe. We've always been impressed with the professionalism and support we've received from our account manager, and over the years have developed an excellent relationship with Valero, who have been very supportive of our business activities."
He went on to say, “We pride ourselves on customer service and a great deal of emphasis is placed on staff training to ensure this is maintained to a high standard across all of our sites. This includes training and engagement of Texaco's Star Rewards loyalty scheme, which has proved to be a vital aspect of our retail business footprint and has subsequently led to great success with customer retention."
Andrew Cox, Valero's director sales and marketing, said, “The Kay Group are a forward thinking and ambitious business and we're proud that we continue to be their fuel supplier of choice after so many years. Their commitment to providing a superior customer experience contributes to their ongoing success and we're delighted to be working alongside them to support their business goals."
The Kay Group operate their service stations in East Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands, with the goal to expand and develop new sites in locations away from the North West. All their sites offer all grades of Texaco fuel including Supreme, a branded Londis shop and many offer well known fast food brand outlets such as Greggs and Subway.
Texaco customers in the UK now have the Texaco app to help them to save on fuel when they fill up. The app allows customers to never miss out on Star Rewards Points by adding a digital Star Rewards card to their phone's wallet.
The app also allows members to exchange Points for digital Texaco vouchers, which can be used to purchase fuel at Texaco service stations. Star Rewards members are now able to simply 'tap' their phone to earn Points and easily spend at Texaco.
