Today’s guest is Joe Richardson. Joe is the 5th generation at Jos Richardson & Son, a business that has been in operation for 135 years. The business started out delivering coal all the way back in the 19th century, and is now an operator of incredible forecourts, including the amazing Glews Services.

This episode is about the DisneyLand or petrol stations. Dan Perry is the third generation at Ron Perry & Son A19, owner of two stations opposite each other on a dual carriageway in the North East of England. The business is unique due to the sheer variety of profit centres on their sites and their constant desire to move forward.

In this episode we have a special guest in Gordon Balmer. Having spent 30 years at bp, Gordon is now the Executive Director of the Petrol Retailers Association, a not for profit organisation representing petrol station owners and operators interests across the United Kingdom. When they are not lobbying the government or offering advice across a variety of subjects to fuel retailers, Gordon and his team spend their time bringing retailers together at events around the country and being all around nice people to work with.

David Charman is an award winning retailer and owner of Parkfoot Garage on the A20 in Kent. Parkfoot is a third generation family business and has been serving the local community for 76 years. The site, which is famous for having its own butchers, is known locally as the magic shop, having not been closed for a single day in over 37 years.

Goran Raven's independent family business was founded in 1929, starting as an agricultural repairs shop and was even used as a fire station during the second world war. Today, Goran runs a high-volume Shell forecourt with a recently redeveloped Budgens store. As a family business, they continually adapt and grow, ensuring they never stand still.

Jamie Sejpal runs Top 50 independent Platinum Retail with his Dad Sej. Following Sej’s sale of MFG, he started Platinum Retail, where Jamie joined the business in 2016. The business has grown to 55 sites as it stands today and as the next generation, Jamie is looking to continue that growth into the future.

Jamie talks about:

• Growing up in the petrol station industry and earning his stripes on site
• Whether Platinum Pizzas could ever be a thing
• Driving 40 minutes to a station in Florida to get ice cream
• How he believes the Platinum Retail business can take the next step

John Stevenson is the owner of Stevenson Forecourts, a family owned independent based in the North East of England with three sites. Today, John talks to us about how the business evolved from car dealerships with forecourts right through to amazing shops that also sell fuel and how the business has overcome the challenges involved.

We discuss:

• Why it’s important to have values for your business.
• Overcoming the challenges of taking on your next site.
• The devil’s advocate argument for being an exister.

I speak to Slaton Whatley from Whatley Oil in Georgia, USA. Slaton is the third generation in a 70 year old business and runs 12 retail stores, which he owns and operates under their own brand Zelmo's.

Slaton’s operates in a competitive part of the US where margins can get razor thin, meaning doing things a little differently is a basic requirement.

Slaton talks about being thrown in at the deep end, the importance of promoting from within, and the unbranded craze that is taking over American forecourts. And of course, I end up mentioning Buc-cee's.