Family business, Gardner Garages Limited, have recently opened another Texaco site, City Service Station in Hereford. This will bring the current number of Gardner Garages sites under the Texaco brand to four with their first site Gardner General Garage in Huntley joining over 20 years ago. The three existing sites, Gardner Cheltenham Service Station, Gardner Westgate Services and Gardner General Garage have recently signed long term renewals with the Texaco brand as well.
Gardner Garages have a strong relationship with Valero and were keen to offer their customers a brand they knew and could trust to deliver a service their customers have come to expect from them.
Clive Gardner, Chairman of Gardner Garages said, “The ability to have open dialogue and excellent communication with decision makers within the Valero organisation has proven invaluable over the years as has the reliability of their fuel ordering and delivery service. It's reassuring to know the level of support and service we will receive on signing up another site to the Texaco brand."
City Service Station, which was previously Harvest branded, offers a Londis convenience store, Costa coffee and stocks three grades of fuel including Supreme unleaded, however Clive who thrives on transforming sites around has bigger plans for the future of this site. His medium to long term goal is to completely knock the site down and create a future proof forecourt with all grades of fuel and better community focused facilities like a small café with a Wi-Fi area. He has a strong vision of how he wants the business to take shape and is looking forward to developing the site.
The business is also committed to helping out in the community, and for many years has undertaken fundraising activities to support the Pied Piper Appeal, a local charity that helps makes a difference to the lives of sick and disabled children in Gloucestershire. During the current Covid-19 crisis the business has also donated £2500 to help a local primary school and cat rescue centre after seeking nominations from the local community.
Andrew Cox, Valero's director sales and marketing, said, “Our relationship with Gardner Garages goes back many years and we're delighted to have teamed up with Clive again as their fuel supplier for their latest location. I've no doubt the site will be successful and Clive's plans for the future will be well supported under the Texaco brand."
Gardner Garages is a family business and is run by Clive Gardner (Chairman), his daughter Emma Gardner (MD) and son Ashton Gardner (Operations Director). Clive grew up exposed to the business world at a very early age as his father ran a portfolio of businesses including two petrol forecourts, hairdressers, cafes, guest houses and ice-cream vans to name but a few. He started off working in his father's petrol retailing business before moving on to become a BP licensee in the 1980's. He acquired his first Texaco site in 1996 and over the years has gone through some acquisitions, sales and even a 'mini retirement' in Spain. The portfolio now comprises of a site with BP and four sites with Valero with purchase of another petrol station in Gloucestershire nearly complete. Planning has recently been approved for the development of two substantial stand-alone convenience stores in Cheltenham as well.
Photograph: Left to right – John Cowley, Texaco Area Sales Manager, Clive Gardner, Chairman for Gardner Garages Ltd and Ashton Gardner, Operations Director for Gardner Garages Ltd