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Oxalis Logistics Group was born from an investment sale in February of this year. Having previously acted under the Hoyer Group, Oxalis is now stretching its wings under new ownership as a market leader in the transportation and distribution of bulk fuels and gases. CEO Allan Davison and HR Director Nichola Blenkinsop explained more, in an exclusive interview with Inside Sustainability. Report by Imogen Ward
Oxalis Logistics Group stepped back into the limelight earlier this year, following a pivotal acquisition and a rebranding.
“In February 2024, Hoyer Group sold part of its portfolio to an investor; from this development the Oxalis brand was born,” said CEO Allan Davison. “We are the market leader in the distribution of bulk fuels and gases in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the Czech Republic, with 1,900 trucks and tank trailers, and more than 2,700 colleagues.
“This includes the entire management team that came with the business, so all experience and expertise in these specialised products is retained within Oxalis.”
With the company successfully retaining its experience from Hoyer Group, it has
also maintained relationships with more than 100 customers, providing 800,000 deliveries annually, which equate to an impressive 22.5 million tonnes of product.
“We have a totally unrivalled operational network in our core markets,” said Mr Davison. “With nearly 100 operating locations and over 2,300 drivers, we provide unmatched operational coverage. This means we can provide flexible and costeffective logistics solutions for all products and services under one company.”
Core values
Following on from the successful acquisition, Oxalis intends to maintain its industry-leading status with the help of its ‘people first’ approach. The company
regularly engages with its workforce and even went as far as incorporating their input into the rebranding process.
“Our colleagues helped us decide what our values would be going forward,” commented HR Director Nichola Blenkinsop.
“This inclusive approach was really important to us as these values would become the framework of behaviours which we adhere to, to meet the challenges of the industry.”
“The ability to work and interact with so many different people, from so many different backgrounds and cultures is amazing,” added Mr Davison. “We value the input of each and every employee.”
The company relies on a mix of innovation, responsibility, agility and respect to provide a stellar customer experience.
“Of course, safe and ethical behaviour is our number one priority,” said Ms Blenkinsop.
“Our safety culture is second-to-none, whilst our state-of-the-art driver training programmes (developed in-house) far exceed any legal requirements for guidelines.
“We have a responsibility towards our people, the environment, the communities in which we operate, as well as our valued customers. We also make sure to treat all stakeholders in a way that we would expect to be treated ourselves, embracing diversity, respecting different opinions and ensuring everyone feels heard.”
“Our values are also reflected in our vision, which is very clear: we want to be recognised as the innovative logistic partner that drives positive change and creates a sustainable future,” continued Mr Davison. “The world in which we live, and the industry in which we operate, is ever-changing. But this change gives us an opportunity to innovate with intention
– delivering our strategic objectives whilst providing service excellence to our customers.
“In this context, a sustainable future means providing sustainability for our business and all our colleagues as we move to a more diversified product portfolio. Whilst fuels remain a core element of our business, we will be at the forefront of the logistics industry in the move towards transporting, and using, more environmentally friendly products.”
Supporting sustainability
Oxalis is expanding the business with a more diverse portfolio as it focuses its efforts on industry-wide decarbonisation. Although the company intends to continue investing in logistics solutions for every kind of bulk petroleum-based product, emerging markets and organisations are of increasing interest.
“We are already involved in green hydrogen, bio-CNG, bio-CO2, bio-LPG, biofuels and carbon capture projects, with high levels of product and technical expertise in all these areas,” said Mr Davison. “This is in addition to our offerings on a wide range of other gas products.”
With innovation at the heart of its business, Oxalis intends to continue trialling new equipment and technologies to ensure its operations remain as efficient as possible during this period of sustainable development.
“Positive change is driven by an intense focus on the responsibility we have to our people, the environment, our communities and our customers,” said Mr Davison. “Challenging the norm can be difficult, but it is necessary in order to grow a successful and sustainable organisation.”
Of course, these achievements would not be possible without the strategic partnerships Oxalis developed in its previous form. According to Mr Davison, the company is dedicated to fostering an
open dialogue with all its suppliers and seeks long-term partnerships that work for all involved parties.
Future achievements
As it focuses on meeting its targets, Oxalis retains a realistic outlook on what the future will entail. From strategic growth to improved profitability, the company is optimising its process flows and identifying operational efficiencies to help make its goals a reality.
Oxalis CEO, Allan Davison Oxalis Managing Director, Germany, Tim Exner-
Oxalis HR Director, Nichola Blenkinsop
Oxalis Operations Director, Jonathan Lawrence
Oxalis Operations Director, Dominic O'Flynn-
“We also want to reduce our number of main safety incidents by 25 per cent from 2023 to 2030 and cut our CO2 emissions in half by the end of the decade, when compared to our 2019 measurements – an aggressive target that is almost unheard of for a company of our scale in this industry,” explained Mr Davison. “We are aware, however, that our goals will come with their own sets of challenges.
“The past three or four years perfectly exemplify that, with a multitude of events that no one could have predicted. From Covid to the driver shortage crisis, and with ongoing geo-political turbulence across the world, it has been very difficult to predict what will happen next.
“Over time, the volumes and activity associated with some of our petroleum
products will also reduce – but that presents an opportunity for growth and development in other markets. We already have the necessary skills, expertise and infrastructure to grow in these emerging markets, and by sticking to our vision and values, we are putting ourselves in a great position to succeed.” n
