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Happy 21st Nolan Oils
Mark Nolan started Nolan Oils in December 1988 so last month saw Oxfordshire's largest independent fuel distributor, celebrate its 21st birthday. Celebrations actually started in late November when the Red Devils parachute team jumped into a Nolan Oils sponsored charity event.
The event was attended by customers, friends and family to fundraise for
Help for Heroes, a charity which the company supports in conjunction with the Bicester Round Table. Mark said: "We were looking for something very different to mark our 21st so when this idea was suggested, it all came together." (Mark’s connections with British Superbike team Ultimate Racing enabled him to organise the Red Devils’ visit.)
Building a business with roots in the industry
Forty years ago Mark’s parents Bert and Margaret opened a small petrol garage on the family home’s front drive in Launton. As business grew, Bert started selling blue paraffin, becoming an agent for Gulf Oil and then after seeing an advertisement for Ultramar Golden Eagle, he became the company’s first UK appointed distributor and started Markim Fuels. Mark joined his parents but after Kuwait Petroleum acquired Ultramar Golden Eagle and his father retired, Mark formed Nolan Oils. Mark reflects: “The 1970s saw rapid growth, they were a golden age for distributors. It’s very different today and highly competitive. Nevertheless, we keep growing with the emphasis on customer service with a keen price."
Nolan Oils began in a temporary storage facility at a wood yard near Bicester, with just three 12,000 gallon tanks for kerosene, gas oil and derv. (The company’s storage has since increased to almost 600,000 litres.) Initially, Mark drove his one and only four wheel tanker himself but soon became too busy to do the work alone. By April 1989 there was an additional six wheeler, another driver and an accounts lady and, in 1995 a permanent site at a transport yard three miles from Bicester was acquired. Building work completed, the Middleton Stoney depot opened on 23 May 1996 for the supply of home heating fuel, diesels, lubricants and oil storage tanks and still operates from here today.
Mark said: "Today’s operation still hinges on a tightly knit team which now includes my sons, 19-year old Luke and Ryan,18. Business continues to go in the right direction, with an annual volume of more than 15 million litres, generated from a customer base within a 30 mile radius."
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OIL PRICES
Highest Oil Prices for 17 Months
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Duty Rate Increases
March 2010 Budget
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Red or White Diesel?
HMRC has recently issued advice about the types of vehicles that can be powered by red diesel...
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HEATING OIL THEFTS: Police have issued warnings following a pattern of heating oil thefts ...
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OIL PRICE FACTORS: In the old days, the oil price was a relatively simple matter of cost curves, supply and demand. These days, fear is just as likely to set the price as fundamentals.
Click here for full article . . .
Crude Oil Price
Increased volatility in financial markets, ongoing geopolitical tensions and now financial and monetary uncertainties make it more difficult than usual to forecast oil prices. We anticipate...
» Download full report by the RBS (PDF format)
Heating Oil Cost Effectiveness
Oil remains the most cost-effective for those without access to the mains gas network.
Click: Oil for Heating
Source: OFTEC
Click: More about heating oil economics for consumers.
Click: A note about Calor Gas "Selective Comparison"
Source: Sheila Hancock of the Federation Of Petroleum Suppliers
How are fuel prices set?
"There are four primary factors that are taken into account when setting the prices; crude costs, refinery costs, taxes and return on capital investment."
What might cause a price increase?
One of the reasons crude prices might rise is because the tensions in the Middle East continue to increase along with concerns about potential interruptions to supply of crude oil in South America and East Africa. Natural disasters and political influences also have an affect.
However the price is also influenced by rapid global economy recovery and the expansion and emergence of burgeoning economies such as China, which increased its crude imports by 35% last year on the previous year.
Increased demand obviously impacts on price and market speculation on future high prices can greatly exaggerate the price increases.
Taxes are also a factor. in the UK tax is 70% of the price whereas in the US it is only 23%.
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The Nolan
family have been serving the needs of fuel oil consumers in the South Midlands for over 30 years.
We specialise in delivering Kerosene, Gas Oil and Diesel to domestic, commercial and agricultural properties in the Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire areas.
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