Crown Oil Ltd, also trading as Crown Oil Fuels and Lubricants or simply Crown Oil, is a fuels and lubricants distribution company located in

Bury, Greater Manchester Bury (, ) is a market town on the River Irwell in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. which had a population of 81,101 in 2021 while the wider borough had a population of 193,846. The town was originally part of the ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The fuel distributor specialises in national supply of

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

, gas oil,

kerosene Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...

and

lubricants A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces ...

among other fuels and oils to the commercial and domestic market in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Crown Oil has depots in six locations around the UK, including Bury,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

Iver Iver is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central nucleated village, clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park and the hamlets o ...

, and three in

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

with the Bury depot being the main depot that the fuel supplier operates from.

History

Crown Oil began trading in 1928 and was owned by Harry Greensmith, affectionately known as "Harry Lamp Oil". Greensmith traded door-to-door from a wooden cart, providing household goods such as firelighters, candles, and lamp oil (kerosene). After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Greensmith expanded the product range of the company to include the bulk supply of fuels and lubricants. The name Silver Crown Oil Distributors was used from around 1947. The business was based in Heywood,

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...

, England. In 1959, Harry's only son, David Greensmith, joined the

family business A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by Consanguinity , blood, marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business a ...

, and new premises were acquired in the Heap Bridge area of Heywood, where the company is currently located. The distribution of

fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work (physics), work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chem ...

s and

lubricant A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, ...

s became the firm's primary business activity, with

red diesel Fuel dyes are dyes added to fuels, as in some countries it is required by law to dye a low-tax fuel to deter its use in applications intended for higher-taxed ones. Untaxed fuels are referred to as "dyed", while taxed ones are called "clear" or "w ...

currently making up the majority of business. In 1977 the business was incorporated and the name changed to Crown Oil Limited. The present head office, completed in 1990, is located at Bury in Greater Manchester. The headquarters was named the 'Oil Centre'. Crown Oil remains family-owned. According to the company's history, in 1949, ownership passed from Harry to his son, David, and thereafter to his grandchildren Andrew, Matthew, and Abigail in 2007, following David's premature death in 2007. Matthew Greensmith is the current managing director.

Environmental commitments

Crown Oil Environmental was set up to assist with the

environmental hazard Environmental hazards are hazards that affect biomes or ecosystems. Well known examples include oil spills, water pollution, slash and burn deforestation, air pollution, ground fissures, and Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, build-up of atmosp ...

s that are caused by fuels – such as

oil spill An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

s and microbial contamination. Environmental collects waste oils and recycles these oils for re-use. It also disposes of waste diesel in line with regulations. Tank cleaning is also undertaken in order to prevent mechanical failure caused by contaminated diesel. As part of the company's work towards environmental responsibility, all delivery mileage was

carbon offset Carbon offsetting is a carbon trading mechanism that enables entities to compensate for offset greenhouse gas emissions by investing in projects that reduce, avoid, or remove emissions elsewhere. When an entity invests in a carbon offsetting ...

to keep CO2 emissions to a minimum. Between December 2007 and April 2020, this amounted to over 37,500 tonnes of CO2 being offset, helping to fund carbon reducing initiatives across the globe. In 2019, Crown Oil committed further to reducing fossil fuels' environmental impact by turning its attention to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO fuel), when the company invested £4 million in stocks of the renewable fuel, making it reportedly one of the only suppliers in the UK with a stock of the fuel. HVO fuel is said to be useful for industries such as farming, commercial vehicles and data centres to reduce their carbon emissions.

Biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...

is another CO2-reducing fuel supplied by Crown Oil.

Expansion and acquisitions

Crown Oil has expanded its business over time through the acquisition of other fuel suppliers: * In 1990, Crown Oil's headquarters expanded to include Crown House. In 2007 planning permission was granted for further expansion, in what would become the Crown Point building. * In 2012, the company opened a depot in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

to service

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: Central London, N ...

businesses as well as the domestic market in the area, and introduced the Speedy Fuels brand to service this area. Additionally, the business acquired Cooke Fuels, who had fallen into administration. *Crown Oil also acquired fuel supplier Ingoe Oils. * 2018 saw the double acquisition of

-based Beesley Fuels and Birlem Fuels through the Speedy Fuels brand. * Crown Oil also expanded into other energy-related industries with the launch of Crown Oil Environmental, the waste fuel collection arm of the business; Crown Energy, a utility installation service; Crown Gas and Power, an energy supplier. These businesses make up the Crown Oil group of companies. *2020 saw the most recent acquisition, that of Stockport-based Star Oil and this purchase meant that 11 of 12 Star Oil staff and a fleet of eight vehicles, joined Crown Oil, the only exception being a director. * As a result of expansion, the Crown Oil

fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles * Fishing fleet *Naval fleet * Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles * Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Be ...

tankers Tanker may refer to: Transportation * Tanker, a tank crewman (US) * Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids ** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk ** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanke ...

rose from 25 vehicles in 2016 to reportedly 53 in 2018. In 2019, that in creased to 58 tankers, placing the company's fleet among the ten largest fuel oil distributor fleets in the UK. In 2020, as a result of the Star Oil acquisition, that fleet increased by a further eight vehicles, taking the total to 66.

Subsidiaries

In total, the Crown Oil group of companies is made up of eight fuel suppliers, business energy suppliers and utility installation services. Around 1,500 people are employed across the group. * Crown Oil Ltd * Crown Oil (Environmental) Ltd * Speedy Fuels Ltd * Beesley Fuels Ltd * Birlem Oil * Crown Gas and Power Ltd * Crown Energy Ltd * Cooke Fuels * Ingoe Oils * Star Oil

Awards

Crown Oil Ltd has earned multiple recognitions over the years. * In May 2008, Crown Oil was listed on Crain's: Manchester Top 200 list of companies, taking the 60th position. * In 2012, Crown Oil won a HazardX award for its environmental contribution to the industry. * In 2014, Crown Oil finished 163rd in

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table. This ranks Britain's mid-market growth private companies with the largest sales. * In February, as a result of company expansion, the fuel supplier qualified for a spot as one of the UK mainland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland's Top 20 fuel distributors. * In May 2019, Crown Oil was named in the 'Ward Hadaway Greater Manchester Fastest 50 Companies'. * In 2019, Crown Oil ranked 133rd in The Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table, the fifth time it qualified for the league table. As a UK based lubricants blender and supplier, Crown Oil is part of the UKLA (United Kingdom Lubricants Association) and UEIL. Crown Oil is also registered with Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) and is certified as a

Crown Commercial Service The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is an executive agency and trading fund of the Cabinet Office of the UK Government. The CCS is responsible for managing the procurement of common goods and services, increasing savings for the taxpayer by cen ...

supplier.

Rochdale A.F.C

Crown Oil has been a sponsor of

Rochdale A.F.C. Rochdale Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. The team currently competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English league system. Nickn ...

since the 2013–14 season when the club was in

EFL League Two The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English ...

, when in May 2013, the company signed a front of shirt sponsorship. Rochdale achieved promotion to

EFL League One The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...

, and the sponsorship was seen as a success and was continued in 2014–15. In August 2016, Crown Oil signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Rochdale A.F.C., and the club's stadium, then called the

Spotland Stadium Spotland Stadium, known as the Crown Oil Arena for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium in the Spotland district of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, which is home to Rochdale A.F.C., Rochdale Association Football Club a ...

, was renamed the Crown Oil Arena as part of a 'record-breaking' 'six-figure' sponsorship deal for the club that included the stadium's naming rights. In June 2020, Crown Oil and Rochdale AFC extended their sponsorship agreement for a further six-years.

Rally driver sponsorship

Since 2015, Crown Oil has sponsored

WRC WRC may refer to: Broadcasting stations * WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States * Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area: ** WWRC, a radio station (570 AM) l ...

rally driver,

Gus Greensmith Fergus "Gus" Greensmith (born 26 December 1996) is a British rally driver. Rally career Greensmith's family owns fuel and lubricants distributor Crown Oil. A former youth goalkeeper for Manchester City F.C. and karter before moving into th ...

with logo placement on Greensmith's

Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car that was marketed by Ford from 1976 to 2023 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and had been positioned below the ...

, a livery sponsorship which is currently ongoing. In 2015, Greensmith stated that Crown Oil has been a 'financial and emotional' supporter since as early as 2015.

Industries served

As with most fuel and lubricant suppliers, Crown Oil serves a range of industries that are reliant on

mineral oil Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils. The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...

-based products for fuel, power and heat generating applications.

Power generation (red diesel)

* Construction sites ( diesel-powered electric generators) * Festivals * Outdoor events

Off-road vehicle fuel (red diesel)

* Farming machinery (fuel for

combine harvester The modern combine harvester, also called a combine, is a machine designed to harvest a variety of cultivated seeds. Combine harvesters are one of the most economically important labour-saving inventions, significantly reducing the fraction of ...

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a Trailer (vehicle), trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or constructio ...

s) * Construction sites (fuel for

forklift A forklift (also called industrial truck, lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th c ...

s, cranes) * Sports ground maintenance (

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

football pitch A football pitch or soccer field is the playing surface for the game of association football. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play". The pitch is ty ...

es,

cricket field A cricket field or cricket oval is a large grass field on which the game of cricket is played. Although generally oval in shape, there is a wide variety within this: perfect circles, elongated ovals, rounded rectangles, or irregular shapes with ...

Road fuel (white diesel)

* Passenger cars * Vans * Trucks * Buses * Trains

Back-up power (red diesel)

* Data centres * Hospitals * Schools * Hotels * Office buildings * Indoor event venues

Heating (red diesel and kerosene)

* Domestic heating for home central heating systems (kerosene) * Commercial heating (red diesel)

Marine

Bunker fuel Heavy fuel oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO contains sev ...

* Red diesel

Aviation (kerosene)

Jet fuel Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by Gas turbine, gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for ...

Logos

File:Old Crown Oil logo.jpg, Previous logo of the company File:Crown Oil Ltd Logo.jpg, Current logo of Crown Oil Ltd.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.crownoil.co.uk/ Companies based in Bury, Greater Manchester