Gulf has announced it has strengthened its presence in South Wales with the recent signing of Washbourne Garage in

Caldicot. According to Gulf, the 2mlpa site was previously with Esso, and although it is just a stone’s throw from Esso’s Avonmouth terminal, dealer Tim Washbourne believed that he made the right decision in switching to Gulf.

Tim said negotiations originally began in October 2007 and it was a long process, but the company secured a very good partnership with Gulf.

He added: "After many years with Esso, we have already seen the positive benefits in joining the Gulf network. The next phase is to revitalise the shop using Gulf’s specialist shops consultancy, Instore Profits, as we look to improve our offering to the local community we serve."

Gulf Retail director Keith Jewers said he was excited by the range of operators now committing themselves to Gulf.

He added: "More and more dealers who would normally sign with a major are turning to Gulf. They know that they will still benefit from a strong brand package and that the switch will not impair their volumes. The big gain, as Tim has found, is a way of doing business, experienced field staff with a wider knowledge of the dealer market and old fashioned people skills.

"In addition to Washbourne Garage, we have recently secured deals with an Esso site in Dunbartonshire and a Shell garage in Cockermouth and we have more in the pipeline."