Oil 4 Wales has continued its expansion in North Wales with the purchase of a new depot.
The family company, which is headquatered in Carmarthenshire, safeguarded the future of a struggling business and saved jobs in the process.
Oil 4 Wales purchased a depot site in the village of Rhos-fawr, near Pwllheli, on the Llŷn Peninsula in May.
With the site in financial trouble and with jobs at stake, Oil 4 Wales has taken back control and made fresh investment in the depot worth close to £250,000.
“North Wales plays a huge part in our country’s agricultural and business sectors so to expand our reach into that area is very important for us,” said Oil 4 Wales owner Colin Owens.
“However this move into Rhos-fawr is about far more than business for us. At Oil 4 Wales we are very proud of our Welsh heritage and that involves employing Welsh people and speaking the Welsh language.
“We are proud to be continuing that approach in Rhos-fawr and to have safeguarded the future of an important business and with it a number of Welsh jobs.
“If we hadn’t done that the depot would have had to have closed and the jobs would have been lost which would have had a big impact on the local community.”
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Mr Owens said the previous owners Rix Petroleum – an English-based firm – had moved away from the Welsh language and bilingual communications that had benefited the site’s business in years gone by.
Marion Jones, 64, who works at the Rhos-fawr depot, said: “It’s brilliant for me, the other staff, and the local community that the future of the depot has been secured.
“Before Oil 4 Wales took control it was a difficult time financially. We moved away from what made the business successful which included things like taking cheques in Welsh.
“We have now brought those sorts of things back which is vitally important. Obviously I’m very pleased to keep my job too and I’m very thankful for Oil 4 Wales’ support.
“Hopefully we can help the depot go from strength to strength in the future.”
Oil 4 Wales’ Rhos-fawr development is its latest building block as it attempts to continue its growth and provide jobs in Wales and for Welsh people.
Now in their 10th year with more than 100 employees across the country, the company provides oil for home heating and business and agricultural sectors.
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“The big thing for me when I started Oil 4 Wales was to create a legacy. It’s not all about making money and the business will never be sold, it will be passed down from generation to generation,” Mr Owens said.
“We are part of the Welsh community and will strive to put that first at all times.
“The Rhos-fawr site is now heading in the right direction which is great news and we have a number of other announcements planned which will lead to further employment for Welsh people.
“We have exciting long-term plans to develop into the manufacturing sector and more details on that will come in the future.”
Last summer Oil 4 Wales received a £350,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales to refurbish the Nantycaws petrol station on the A48 near Carmarthen. The company also added a cafe and tourist shop.