IN CONVERSATION
In Conversation
Morgan Fuels - A marathon not a sprint
MORGAN FUELS HAS GROWN ORGANICALLY TO BECOME ONE OF THE LARGEST SUPPLIERS OF FUELS IN IRELAND AS WELL AS A MAJOR FUEL CARD PROVIDER OPERATING IN IRELAND , UK AND EUROPE . WITH THE BUSINESS CELEBRATING ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR IN 2021 , FUEL OIL NEWS EDITOR , MARGARET MAJOR , CATCHES UP WITH MANAGING DIRECTOR , HUGH MORGAN , WHO , AS YOU READ THIS , IS PARTICIPATING IN THE MARATHON DES SABLES , A 6-DAY ULTRA MARATHON IN THE SAHARA DESERT AND ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ENDURANCE CHALLENGES , TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF BOTH BUSINESS AND DISTANCE RUNNING .
Talk us through the history of Morgan Fuels from its beginnings in 1981 , through expansion into complementary divisions , to the current business . “ After I ’ d completed a few years as a truck driver , there was a filling station beside the farm that came on the market . I purchased it in May 1981 , at the ripe old age of 20 , and this was the beginning of my journey in the oil business with my brother Eamon . I also had massive support from my 3 sisters , Mary , Stephanie , and Pauline who helped to get the business off the ground .
“ The journey in the oil business has been very interesting and , after completing 40 years in business in 2021 , I would love to travel every inch of it again .
“ On the site I set up the first unmanned bunker site on the island of Ireland with such clients as O ’ Reilly transport , Laverty livestock haulage and many more who are still to this day are very loyal customers to Morgan Fuels .”
What has driven the growth of the business ? “ Our growth has come from defining a ‘ What good looks like ’ approach within our business . We have a built a model , that first started in Ireland , where we focus on understanding the specific needs of our clients within the transport sector and offering them a fuel solution that gives a wide variety of choice within the network and that caters for all sizes of business .
“ From there we look to ensure that we have complete transparency with pricing , market movement and how we invoice . The key for us is ensuring that all clients have a personal account manager that they can work with , in order to
14 Fuel Oil News | October 2021 not offer a contact centre approach to customer care . Once we had this model in place we then stepped and repeated the process across to the UK and then on to mainland Europe , where we now have over 6,000 sites across 17 different countries .”
You have grown quickly over the last 40 years . Are you still looking for future growth ? “ Our industry never stands still , and neither do we at Morgan Fuels . We are always looking to the future and ways in which we can grow our business . We have recently offered additional services such as VAT reclaim , across Ireland , the UK , and Europe , meaning our clients can claim back their VAT through Morgan Fuels ’ VAT department efficiently and hassle free .
“ We offer a full toll road solution across mainland Europe , our own online portal for ferry bookings , and I am pleased to announce that we have opened an operation in Portugal , and have recently partnered with Leap Telematics so we are able to offer a first class fully bespoke telematics solution to our clients across all regions .
“ We are very busy in 2021 and we do not plan to slow down any time soon .”
Do you currently offer any alternative fuels , and do you intend to add any ? “ Alternative fuels will play a major role in the future of transportation , and we are currently reviewing how best to support our clients through these changes .”
Over the next few years , what do you see as the major challenges and positives for the industry ? “ The biggest challenge to the industry is the one of how we continue to transport goods and services to the desired destination and at the same time lower the negative impact on the environment . This is a challenge we all face , and Morgan Fuels will ensure that we are supporting our clients and the industry with the right solutions that keep their business moving .”
How do new customers find out more about you ? “ New customers can visit our website at www . morganfuels . com or connect with us on social media -Facebook and Instagram - or can simply give us a call on 028 308 48365 . We always have time for a chat .”
Is there a next generation to take the business into the future ? “ My family - 1 son and 3 daughters - are now shareholders in the business and are actively involved in the day to day running of it . A business can only be as strong as the people in it . That ’ s why Morgan Fuels has invested a great deal of time and energy recruiting the industry ’ s finest talent .