Graham Peacock, managing director of the Malthurst Group, once again heads the list of the Top 50 Indies, a rundown of the biggest independent groups, published as a supplement within this issue, and summarised in the box below.

A Top Indies dinner is also being held at the Forest of Arden Hotel in Coventry, on Tuesday, March 6, the first day of the IFFE and CRS shows.

The groups in the listing account for 1,137 sites, with the majority having changed position since last year, some of those moving up having gained sites through their operation of oil company forecourts.

One or two companies have changed, such as McCashins, which sold out to Express Service Stations, a group of four Glasgow-based Asian businessmen who already have extensive interests in Glasgow. The £2.5m purchase was funded by Allied Irish Bank.

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=== Top 50 at a glance ===

07 06 Company name

1 (1) The Malthurst Group

2 (2) Pace Petroleum

3 (5) Park Garage Group

4 (3) Snax 24

5 (8) Motor Fuel Group

6 (7) Euro Garages

7 (9) MPK Garages

8 (4) Petrol Express

9 (6) Aleef garages

10 (19) Hockenhull Garage

11 (10) Calanike

12 (11) Brobot petroleum

13 (12) Alfred Jones (Warrington)

14 (13) Cornwall Garage Group

15 (20) HKS Retail

16 (14) Spring Petroleum

17 (16) Hills Incorporated

18 (-) Valli forecourts

19 (15) Manor Service Station

20 (-) Carsley group

21 (17) Jordan & Co Hull Ltd

22 (18) Roadside Group

23 (35) State Oil

24 (-) AY & Y Patel

25 (23) Bargainsound LTD

07 06 Company name

26 (30) Rusdene Services

27 (24) Bond Hamill

28 (22) Park Road Group

29 (26) Phil Wilks & Sons

30 (28) George Hammond

31 (27) Kay Group

32 (41) Chartman

33 (33) Gibbs

34 (29) WJ King (GARAGES)

35 (-) QMP

36 (34) Elite Garages

37 (25) Spot Service Stations

38 (36) Three Mile Garages

39 (38) Avor Garages North East

40 (39) Sewell Retail

41 (-) Gardner GROUP

42 (31) Lawrence Garages (Ldn)

43 (32) Petromex

44 (40) Simon Smith Group

45 (42) Parks Motor Group

46 (43) David Taylor Garages

47 (46) Maljee

48 (37) Core Service Stations

49 (47) Exelby SERVICES

50 (49) Fraser GROUP

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