Lord Willie Haughey’s facilities management firm in major BP deal

By Lord Willie Haughey’s facilities management firm has struck a new five-year deal to provide services across more than 300 BP filling stations.

The agreement with Glasgow-headquartered City Facilities Management is the longest of its kind to be awarded by the energy giant.

The contract will see City, one of the world’s largest privately-owned facilities management companies, continue to provide building fabric, electrical and refrigeration maintenance services across BP’S sites.

City began working with BP in2009andsome60engineers now work on the contract supported by a 24/7 helpdesk.

Allan Abernethy, trading manager for BP’S UK retail business, said it was the first time the company has awarded such a long-term contract to any facilities management provider.

“City have demonstrated a firm commitment to driving forward not only added value and efficiencies but also health and safety excellence, over the last nine years,” he said.

Michael Hughes, chief executive for City, said: “I am proud that our partnership with BP has grown over the last nine years and firmly believe that this is testament to our teams on the ground, delivering world class facilities management services on behalf of our customer.”

City Facilities Management is part of the wider City group which employs more than 12,000 staff across the UK, France, Australia, Asia, South Africa and the US.

Overseas expansion by the group fuelled significant growth in its latest financial year, helping boost turnover from £463 million to £613m.

Pre-tax profit from its core facility management and cleaning business rose from £13.5m to £15.7m. However, post-tax profit fell to £10.8m due to deferred and foreign tax payments during 2016.

Last year the Glasgow-headquartered company rebranded from City Refrigeration to reflect its wider business interests. It also moved into the continental European market by acquiring Lesprit Ltd which trades as Atrium Maintenance France (AMF) in Europe.

Lord Haughey, a former director of Celtic FC, founded the business with his wife Susan in 1985. Haughey had served his time as an apprentice with a refrigeration repairs and servicing company before setting up the business which has gone on to become one of Scotland’s largest private companies.

The group took its first steps outside the UK in 2007 when it launched in Australia where it now has a turnover of more than £200m a year.