WP Group has 50 years of experience as a fuel distributor and lubricants supplier across a wide range of specialist sectors contact us
1960 WP Group started life as Southampton Oil Supplies in Mount Pleasant Road, Southampton.
1962 Southampton Oil Supplies extended its business to the Isle of Wight with the launch of Solent Petroleum Distributors.
1970 Southampton Oil Supplies and Solent Petroleum Distributors were selling more than 10 million gallons of Esso Blue paraffin per year, serving farms and domestic homes in the Southampton and Solent area.
1970s Wessex Petroleum Holdings Ltd was created as a holding company for Southampton Oil Supplies and Solent Petroleum Distributors.
1980s Wessex Petroleum acquired fellow fuel distributor Hampshire & Berkshire Oil Service as part of consolidation within the industry as Esso aimed for larger, stronger distributorships.
1999 The Fairchild family acquired Wessex Petroleum. Wessex Managing Director David Fairchild had formerly run Minster Fuels in Wimborne, Dorset. Wessex sold its own retail business on the Isle of Wight to Texaco and then acquired family-run Southern Fuels in Ringwood, Hampshire.
2000 Wessex Petroleum subsidiary Airport Energy - supplied BAA’s airports with fuel and lubricants during the fuel strikes, gaining the long-term business as a result.
2004 Airport Energy launched airside refuelling company Aires now Airport Energy Solutions.
2006 Wessex Petroleum became one of only three appointed distributors of Mobil oils in the UK.
2007 Wessex Petroleum acquired Atol Fuel, later adding Panta Racing Fuel, Maxima Racing Lubricants and Mobil1 lubricants to its Elf Racing product lines to create what is now WP Motorsport.
2010 Wessex Petroleum rebranded as the WP Group, reflecting the rapidly growing size and scale of its operations across the UK. Airport Energy took 100 per cent ownership of Aires (now Airport Energy Solutions).
Need a dependable fuel distributor with a proven track record? Find out how the WP Group can help you today. Contact us