Rix Petroleum – the largest business in the family-owned J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd group – has acquired Stokesley-based fuel supplier AR Fuels.
The deal sees the Hull-based Rix Group purchase the assets of the four tanker-business, which operates from a depot on the outskirts of the town.
It brings the total number of UK locations operated by Rix Petroleum to 17 and provides a vital link between the company’s depots in Malton, North Yorkshire, and Alnwick, Northumberland.
All the staff are being retained as part of the move, and the business is set to be rebranded as Rix AR Fuels over the coming months.
Duncan Lambert, managing director of Rix Petroleum, described the company as an excellent fit for the Group.
AR Fuels, which was a subsidiary of agricultural merchant Armstrong Richardson & Co Ltd, supplies agricultural fuels, domestic heating oil, and commercial and construction fuels to farms, businesses and households across the northern parts of North Yorkshire, Teesside and County Durham.
Mr. Lambert said: “Armstrong Richardson is celebrating 100 years of trading with farmers, businesses and the wider rural community. As a result, AR Fuels is a highly trusted, well-known and well-loved business, and one we’re delighted to bring into the Rix family.
“This is a strategic acquisition for us, as it extends our coverage of the East Coast, and into the North East, linking up two of our existing locations.
“However, it is more than just a business decision. For a century, Armstrong Richardson has lived the same values as the Rix Group – fairness, a friendly, quality service, and being part of the community – so it is a fantastic fit for us.”
Nigel Jones, the former owner of AR Fuels, said he was very pleased the company would continue to be run along similar lines to how it has been.
He said: “AR Fuels has a loyal customer base because we’ve always done our best to treat people fairly. I’ve known Duncan and Rix Petroleum for many years, and I know how they run their business. It’s very much in line with how I run my businesses, so I know it is in great hands.
“I’m sure there will be some investment in the business going forward, but the core values will remain at the heart of what it does and that was very important to me.”
