Member Article

Durham fuel firm wins top industry award

Par Petroleum has beaten off strong competition to win a top national award for operational excellence.

The family-run fuel firm, based near Woodstone Village in Houghton-le-Spring, has secured the prestigious FPS (Federation of Petroleum Suppliers) Depot of the Year Award.

It’s the sixth time the family-run firm has secured the celebrated award, despite strong competition from across the country.

Par Petroleum is a multi-award winning authorised Jet fuel distributor, supplying fuels and lubricants to businesses and homes across the UK, as well as providing logistics and fleet maintenance services.

The company, which has been established at its current location since 1991, employs a total of 38 staff across its fuel distribution, logistics and maintenance divisions.

FPS is the national trade association for the oil and fuel distribution industry, and its Depot of the Year Award is highly regarded within the oil distribution sector because of its demanding standards.

Depots who enter the award undergo rigorous scrutiny of health and safety, standards of operations and customer service, by industry experts.

Peter Roy-Toole, Par Petroleum Managing Director said:

“We’re delighted that FPS have once again recognised that the health, safety, environmental and operational standards we keep here at our Durham depot are the amongst the highest in the country.

“Par Petroleum is the only depot in the UK to receive this award on six consecutive occasions, which is a testament to our focus on quality.

“We’ve been proudly serving businesses, homes and the farming community in the North East and beyond for more than 25 years, and we’re particularly proud of our Durham roots.

“We have always operated to the very highest standards, putting health and safety at the heart of everything we do. We also take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously, and our working practices consistently meet or exceed the industry requirements.

“We’re thrilled to have won the FPS Depot of the Year Award for the sixth time, and the fact that we’ve won it again in our 25th anniversary year makes it even more special.

“We’ll continue to work hard to improve our operations even further and we’d love to win the award again next year.”

Mark Askew, FPS Chief Executive, said:

“We’re constantly impressed by the incredibly high standards of Par Petroleum and are delighted this depot has won our award again this year.

“To scoop this industry-celebrated award once is impressive, but to do so on six separate years is exceptional and a ringing endorsement of the firm’s commitment and hard work.”

The FPS Depot of the Year Award is sponsored by QBE Insurance.

In judging the award, FPS recognised Par Petroleum’s exceptional work and track record when it comes to health and safety.

All of Par’s drivers are ADR and CPC trained and all have PDP passports – the gold standard when it comes to safety and security in fuel handling.

They also undergo rigorous training as well as regular re-assessment.

On top of this, Par Petroleum has recently invested heavily in their modern Houghton-le-Spring site, which features top of the range loading systems including advanced volume gauges for accuracy and safety.

FPS also recognised that Par Petroleum works hard to minimise environmental impact in everything they do.

Par’s emphasis is on fuel efficiency at all times, using intelligent route planning technology and driver experience to minimise mileage, energy wastage and reduce their carbon footprint as far as possible.

The majority of Par’s vehicles are also fitted with the latest, most advanced engines and meet Euro 6 emissions standards.

On top of this, the company carries out rainwater harvesting and operates a solar farm at its Durham depot. They have also fitted special drainage under the site to safely remove any run-off liquids and protect the surrounding environment.

To find out more about the trade association for the oil distribution industry FPS, visit fpsonline.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nicola Weatherburn .