Family-run oil distributor Oil 4 Wales has recorded a surge in turnover as it celebrates its first 10 years in business.

The Carmarthenshire-headquartered company has seen its turnover soar to over £121 million, up from £114 million over the past year, with customer numbers growing from 70,000 to 90,000, headcount increasing from 98 to 111, and its volume of fuel climbing to 160 million litres per annum.

The impressive results come after Oil 4 Wales acquired the Pwllheli depot of Rix Petroleum and the Llantrisant operation of fuel supplier Thomas Silvey, enabling the brand to expand its presence and logistics across Wales.

Since the acquisitions Oil 4 Wales has invested a further £450,000 in the new depots to improve their offerings, including the introduction of a truck stop at Llantrisant selling gas oil, kerosene and diesel, opening up the opportunity to supply the local commercial markets.

Oil 4 Wales now has nine depots around Wales and owns three filling stations. Its 36 tankers deliver oil to farms, businesses and domestic customers around the country.

During the past year, the Wales-wide fuel distributor has also added to its roster of ambassadors, welcoming international rugby players Aaron Shingler  and Rhys Webb, along with Go Compare’s Wynne Evans to its team, who will support the brand at charitable and farming events across the country.

The success of Oil 4 Wales was down to founder Colin Owens’ early determination and innovative thinking, and despite his achieving no GCSEs and choosing a career in the Merchant Navy over a degree, Oil 4 Wales has grown from strength to strength.

Despite achieving early success, Mr Owens and his family were forced to start over when their original company, Owen Fuels, was sold.

Following this setback, Mr Owens launched his new brand Oil 4 Wales, which is dedicated to supporting the communities of Wales by providing quality, transparency, and honestly, and will “never be sold”.

Mr Owens said he was “proud of how far the business has grown” and looked forward to even more growth in 2020.

He said:

“Oil 4 Wales has enjoyed growth across all areas this year, and we are extremely proud as a business to have exceeded £120 million during the last financial year.

“Not only have we increased our customer numbers by 20,000, our profit has risen, and most importantly we’ve been able to invest in expanding our portfolio and enhancing facilities to support communities across Wales.

“I’d once again like to thank my family and staff, who are the driving force behind the business’s success, and also to our fantastic staff right across Wales, without whom we couldn’t achieve half as much as we do.

“Oil 4 Wales’s mantra is to be Wales’ national fuel supplier, working with the community for the community, and as we continue to grow we continue to fulfil our ambitions.”

The family-run brand is now working towards achieving Welsh Government recognition over the coming year, thanks to its primary aim of not just supporting the people of Wales with its services, but also enhancing communities for families across the nation.

Annually the company hosts community events across the country alongside its brand ambassadors – rugby players Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Daffydd Jones, Aaron Shingler, Rhys Webb, Samson Lee,  Jonathan Davies, Dan Biggar, and Dan Lydiate, along with GoCompare star Wynne Evans, comedian Max Boyce, and Welsh farmer Gareth Wyn Jones.

It also supports numerous educational, agricultural and farming events across Wales every year, including the annual Classic Tractor Road Run in memory of Nick Jones, for which Oil 4 Wales has raised £30,000. Alongside this it also hosts numerous educational initiatives for schools and young people across Wales, including a motivational event at Porth School.