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Q8Oils restructures UK operation following substantial investment

Tue, Jul 07, 2015
Andy Dixon, Q8Oils UK managing director Andy Dixon, Q8Oils UK managing director

Q8Oils has announced a reorganisation of its European lubricants manufacturing following the recent completion of a £100 million investment to upgrade its European blending plant in Antwerp. Having doubled capacity at its Antwerp plant, which is now capable of producing 250 million litres of blended product a year, Q8Oils has moved its UK blending operations to Antwerp and is investing in a new purpose-built UK headquarters in Leeds.

Explaining the changes, UK managing director Andy Dixon stresses that this is a positive step for the UK and that Q8Oils is now focusing on expanding its business in the UK market. “This move is part of our plans for a long term commitment to the manufacturing, automotive and energy sectors and the restructuring includes new headquarters in Leeds that opened on 3rd July.”

Andy also confirms that Q8Oils has announced the appointment of new business partners, IBL Bulk Liquids, Reynolds Logistics, Potters Logistics and Clarke Transport, to manage the company’s bulk storage and pack operations in the UK.

All new UK distribution partners are established experts in packaging and distribution; and the Q8 products delivered will be the same as those already sold in the UK, with products being processed in Antwerp and delivered to Q8Oils’ UK partners.

From its operations on the River Hull and in the Port of Hull, IBL Bulk Liquids will provide Q8Oils with services and facilities for the handling and storage of bulk liquids. They are perfectly located to handle product imports from Q8Oils in Europe and its sites offer excellent connections to the UK road and rail networks. IBL Bulk Liquids offer 120 storage tanks, with a total capacity of around 34,500 cubic metres and handling facilities for road tankers and tank containers.

Operating throughout the UK, Reynolds Logistics provides metered deliveries of lubricants and, using the markets’ largest operational fleet of metered tankers and IBC vehicles based in more than six strategic locations, they are well placed to provide Q8Oils with a fast and efficient delivery service.

Potters Logistics maintains a centrally-managed fleet of articulated and rigid vehicles and will provide Q8Oils with a flexible, cost-effective road freight and transport logistics distribution service from its six distribution centres and rail freight terminals.

Finally, family owned and operated Clarke Transport uses state-of-the-art technology, machinery and vehicles to ensure that the Q8Oils service remains ahead of the field. Based on old-fashioned values of safety, excellent customer service, integrity and reliability, Clarke Transport specialises in transporting sensitive goods for some of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemicals.

Andy Dixon states: “The important message to Q8Oils’ loyal UK customers is longevity and optimisation and, through better utilisation of European assets, the UK business is already creating long-term commitments, including new area sales manager appointments and recently signed major contracts, all of which demonstrate an on-going commitment to the UK.”

Some of the rationalising of the UK business has been influenced through experience gained during a similarly successful merger recently completed by Q8Oils in Scandinavia. Two years ago the expanded Antwerp plant began supplying product to the region and the service proved so successful that Q8Oils was able to merge operations in Denmark and Sweden and supply the entire Scandinavian customer base from there. The move means that Q8Oils is now the largest oil company in Scandinavia and the experienced gained has provided a successful model that has been a useful guide to the UK team.

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  • “This move is part of our plans for a long term commitment to the manufacturing, automotive and energy sectors and the restructuring includes new headquarters in Leeds that opened on 3rd July." Andy Dixon, Q8 UK managing director
  • "The important message to Q8Oils’ loyal UK customers is longevity and optimisation and, through better utilisation of European assets, the UK business is already creating long-term commitments, including new area sales manager appointments and recently signed major contracts, all of which demonstrate an on-going commitment to the UK.” Andy Dixon, Q8 UK managing director

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