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A highly successful 2011
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Ken Owen
Managing Director |
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The Premier Group is looking forward to a prosperous 2012 following a highly successful 2011. Last year, the group experienced a great deal of change and continued to grow thanks to the support of our partners and customers.
At the end of December 2010, we acquired the business of Timeplan Ltd, a leading supplier of fuel management systems and services with more than 4000 installed sites throughout the UK. The business is now trading as Timeplan Fuel Solutions Ltd.
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The acquisition was great news for customers of both The Premier Group and Timeplan. For Premier Group customers it means greater value from turn-key solutions incorporating Timeplan's industry-leading products, while Timeplan customers benefit from the enhanced service capabilities offered by The Premier Group's service and maintenance teams.
The past 12 months also witnessed the conclusion of a number of successful projects including civil contracts from ABB and Esso, solvent storage and distribution for Spear Europe and the replacement of six bulk aviation fuel pumps at RAF Coningsby.
July 2011 saw The Premier Group re-accredited by Investors in People, having been originally recognised in 2008. The achievement is a testimony to The Premier Group's commitment to develop a highly-skilled workforce that delivers the best possible service to its customers.
In September engineers from our leak detection and repair services were celebrating their 100 per cent hit rate detecting leaks in underground water pipes. The speed and accuracy with which we can now detect leaks means considerable savings for our customers.
There was also cause for celebration in November following news that The Premier Group had been awarded a full tender to remove old pumps and install new ones at 49 Murco forecourts across the UK. The Premier Group also won a contract to install new gauging systems for monitoring stock in tanks at 29 Murco sites.
The progress made in 2011 certainly bodes well for The Premier Group in 2012. Over the next 12 months we expect the business to grow further as we forge stronger links with our partners and continue to deliver value for money and first-class service to all our customers.
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Welcome guidance from FEF
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Fuel retailers have welcomed guidance from the Forecourt Equipment Federation (FEF) following confusion over weights and measures legislation.
The Measurement Instrument Directive (MID), introduced in 2006, intends to create a common market for measuring instruments across the 27 countries of the EU.
In light of the legislation, the National Measurement Office (NMO) insists that any system using MID pumps must be completely MID certified, including the point of sale (POS) tills - many of which are not MID certified.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, the FEF has issued guidance to retailers on the restrictions relating to mixing old and new equipment as the transition to the full application of the MID completes in 2016, when all new equipment sold must have an MID certificate.
'Guidance to Retailers on Weights and Measures Compliance of Forecourt Equipment' recognises that many established petrol filling stations in the UK 'evolve' and that UK law has had to specifically handle the situation of 'evolving' forecourts.
The guidance suggests this can bring complications unless OEM manufacturers obtain approval for the relevant changes to the national certified equipment.
In the context of the European Directive, another problem is that some manufacturers will need to not only request approval changes through the MID certificate holder, but ensure that both the relevant national and MID-certified equipment can be accommodated on the same site.
"The FEF has consulted with the National Measurement Office since 2006 to try to gain some flexibility and as pragmatic approach as possible to allow mixing of older nationally certified equipment with new MID certified equipment," says the FEF.
"Guidance was published in the form of 'Weights and Measures Bulletin No. 1001 Control of Modular Equipment during the MID Transition Period and Beyond', usually simply referred to as WM1001. Revision 2 of this document was published in June 2011.
"Of course, this guidance cannot contradict the law, and as a result there are some restrictions on what equipment can be mixed. Some of the rules might seem restrictive, and on newer equipment the difference between nationally certified equipment and MID certified equipment may come down to a few labels."
A copy of 'Guidance to Retailers on Weights and Measures Compliance of Forecourt Equipment' is available at www.fef.org.uk - see 'Downloads' |
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RTFO consultation completed
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A four-week consultation period on the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) guidance was completed on 4 December 2011, following the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive.
As we reported in March last year, there are concerns that the introduction of 10 per cent ethanol in UK transport fuels as detailed in the RTFO will impact on fuel cost and consumption.
Not only does each unit of ethanol yield ~34 per cent less energy than a unit of petrol, but the corrosive and abrasive nature of ethanol and its effects on fuel tanking, pumping and filtration is also an issue.
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In addition, with some motor manufacturers concerned about the backward compatibility of engines with 10 per cent ethanol, the UK could introduce a new standard for the fuel. This may lead to an extra grade of forecourts and will certainly have labelling implications.
Consultation responses are now being considered and any subsequent revisions to the guidance will be made in advance of its publication. A summary of responses to the consultation will be published in due course as will the government's response to the findings.
Readers with any queries about the consultation should contact:
biofuel-sustainability@dft.gsi.gov.uk |
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IN THE LAST ISSUE...
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Premier Group proves great value for Murco |
Excellence Audit
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Stay Healthy
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The original tender saw Premier Group win
12 sites at which to take out old pumps and
install new ones to suit Murco's requirements, with a competitor winning... Read more... |
Premier Group has recently successfully passed an independent accreditation audit less than 1 year... Read more...
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The Premier Group has recently appointed Partners in Health to undertake its employee occupational health screening... Read more... |
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