Industry newcomer Roadside Real Estate has appointed two experienced executives from the forecourt industry to help chief operating officer David Philpott run the fast-growing estate.
Andy Watson and Tamer Saoud join the Abingdon-based business at a pivotal moment as it reaches 21 forecourts, and is on the hunt for more with ambitions to become one of the top 10 independent petrol station operators.
Watson, former operations director for Top 50 Indie Jos Richardson, has become regional operations director, and among his duties is to run the Gardner Retail portfolio of six sites: the first big acquisition announcement for Roadside at the end of last year.
Watson joins from a short spell at Home Bargains, and has previously overseen Asda’s forecourt and convenience stores in the north of England.
Saoud comes with six years’ experience at MFG where he was area manager in Scotland, and helped with stores transitioning to the Top 50 Indie. He previously worked at wholesaler Booker for seven years.
As Roadside’s regional operations manager, and based in Edinburgh, he will lead the 12-forecourt-strong Hills business which Roadside announced it was acquiring in April.
Philpott says both roles will develop as Roadside takes on more sites. “We don’t know what regional shape the company will take over the next few years, but the plan is to be nationwide. For us this was about getting great people who are excited about the future, knowing we have big plans,” he says.
Previously, Philpott has said that Roadside is interested in sites it can develop into community hubs.
Its first forecourt, a former Sainsbury’s site in Coventry and closed for refurbishment, is due to re-open in August, with jet washes, laundry facilities, parcel lockers and a refreshed store.
He says that Coventry will act as a “blueprint” for other urban site development, with the company’s estate spanning “a real mix of sites”, from value driven locations, to tourist hotspots.
And for further growth he says the business is “looking at lots of opportunities, and reviewing things so that we acquire the right quality sites at the right price”.
