Rontec has signed a £1bn supply deal with BP following its merger with Snax 24.

The merger formally brings together Gerald Ronson’s two fuel retailing businesses, although for the purposes of the Forecourt Trader Top 50 Indies they have chosen a united listing since 2014, and are currently ranked third with a total of 210 sites.

The enlarged Rontec group has entered into a five-year supply deal with BP based on delivery of 250 million litres of fuel a year, and with a potential value of £1bn over five years.

The group, which is mainly owned by Gerald Ronson and his family and charitable trusts, will operate under the Rontec name, is based in Watford, and employs 2,500 people nationwide.

Rontec’s retail outlets operate under the ‘Shop n Drive’ brand through which it sells its own ‘Eat Me’ food range. In March 2014, it also incorporated 30 Subways and is scheduled to add a further 20 by the end of 2015.

Commenting on the agreement, Gerald Ronson, chairman of the combined Rontec group, said: “The merging of my forecourt interests represents the culmination of 49 years in the industry. Having opened our first petrol station in St Albans in 1966 and developed nearly 1,000 in the UK since, this is a business we are passionate about.

“The addition of Snax 24’s portfolio to Rontec’s sites strengthens what is already a formidable company run by one of the most professional and experienced teams in the sector, and enables us to sign major deals with suppliers such as BP, with whom we have a 30-year relationship.”