Forecourt Trader Awards 2008

Bob Etchingham is the CEO of Petrogas.
He helped set up the Irish fuel retailer which runs the popular Applegreen chain of petrol stations. The company recently revealed plans for a major expansion of its Applegreen sites in the UK - it hopes to buy at least 100 petrol stations over the next five years.

The company, number 23 on the Forecourt Trader Top 50 Indies 2010 list, has been buying sites in the Greater London area in the past few months, and the UK is expected to play a major part in the its future growth. The group has about 50 filling stations in Ireland.

Bob Etchingham
Petrogasn

Jonathan James runs James Graven & Sons.
He is a very vocal campaigner for independents and this year joined the prestigious International Committee of NACS in Sydney. He is also a member of the ACS Board as well as the Unilver Partners For Growth Panel.

The former Forecourt Trader of the Year believes in getting involved in his local community, including working with schools and taking part in their classes or assemblies.

This year marks the company's 150th anniversary and it recently finished refitting its Ely site in Cambridgeshire as a new-look Budgens. It has also been working on a new greenfield site at Littleport, just North of Ely.

Jonathan James
James Graven & Sons

Graham Peacock is CEO of MRH (GB), the biggest independent fuel retailer in the UK. It boasts a fuel volume of 1.1bn lpa and a turnover of £1.3bn. The Essex-based company has been busy with internal restructuring in the past year, and a key programme has been the amalgamation of the former Pace and Malthurst networks to form one business called MRH Retail under a single management structure.

Its expansion plans lie in the Republic of Ireland, and it recently acquired a further depot in Sandwich, Kent, as well as BP's terminal in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Graham Peacock
MRH

Sailesh Sejpal and Sharad Raja, known as Sej and Raj, run the successful Motor Fuel Group. Number five in the Top 50 Indies list 2010, Middlesex-based MFG has been expanding its network of forecourts. It has bought more than 20 sites in the past two years and plans to continue this expansion programme during 2010, looking at sites around the UK.

The company was also named in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 League Table for 2009 - as the fastest-growing private company in the country.

Sej Sejpal and Sharad Raja, Motor Fuel Group

Patrick Sewell runs Hull-based retailer Sewell Retail, part of the Sewell Group. The company beat the competition to be named Forecourt Trader of the Year in 2009.

Earlier this year it was named the eighth best company to work for in the UK in the Sunday Times Best 100 Companies 2010, beating the likes of Microsoft and Kellogg UK.

The retailer takes part in a retail apprentice scheme with Hull College and runs team-bonding activities such as taking different groups of employees to the NACS show in the US. It is number 20 on the Top 50 Indies 2010 list.

Patrick Sewell
Sewell Group

Sunil Tandon is the managing director of Park Garage Group. The Croydon-based retailer has been through a period of recent growth with saw it move up the ranks from third to second place in the Top 50 Indies 2010 list.

Sunil is a big believer in motivating and encouraging his staff and he recently led some members of his team on a climb up Ben Nevis, helping to raise £6,000 for charity.

Park Garage Group has its own Park & Shop brand, with its Daily Essentials and Life's Essentials stores.

Sunil Tandon
Park Garage Group