Zuber Issa has agreed to acquire 85 petrol stations from the collapsed Prax Group, expanding his EG On The Move operation to 285 forecourts and signalling a rapid build of a second fuel empire.
The 54‑year‑old entrepreneur launched EG On The Move in 2023, following the purchase of EG Group’s UK arm and 98 forecourts from Applegreen. The Prax acquisition continues this series of swift expansions, underscoring Issa’s strategy of buying while competitors sell.
For the independent operators who run the sites, ownership changes are the most consequential detail. The forecourts will remain managed by commission managers, with EG On The Move committing additional investment in food‑to‑go, electric‑vehicle charging, convenience retail and customer amenities.
Issa said, “We look forward to working alongside each operator to build on the strengths of their businesses, helping make every site more effective, more competitive and even more attractive to customers.”
The deal follows one of the most dramatic corporate collapses in the UK fuel sector. Prax Group, founded by Sanjeev Kumar Soosaipillai and his wife Arani Soosaipillai, unraveled last year under financial pressure, forcing several key companies into administration and disrupting the fuel supply chain.
Prax owned the Lindsey oil refinery, which at one time supplied roughly ten percent of Britain’s fuel, and operated forecourts under the TotalEnergies and Harvest Energy brands. Administrators have alleged financial irregularities, a claim disputed by the former directors, and investigations continue.
Issa’s rise from a single garage in Bury, Greater Manchester, in 2001 to a leading petrol‑station operator illustrates the contrast between buyers and sellers in the industry. The Issa brothers built EG Group into one of Europe’s largest operators, later divesting their stake in Asda to focus on roadside retail and reviving the Duckhams motor oil brand.
The purchase comes as electric and plug‑in hybrid vehicles outsell petrol‑only models in the UK for the first time. EG On The Move plans to enhance sites with expanded grocery ranges, food‑service brands, car washes and rapid EV charging, positioning forecourts as more than fuel stations.
Meanwhile, the former EG Group forecourt business, now trading as Cumberland Farms, has filed a confidential listing in New York that could value it at around $9 billion, potentially solidifying the Issa brothers’ standing among Britain’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.
The transaction was advised by Cleary Gottlieb, PwC and the company’s banking partners.
For independent forecourt operators, the lesson remains clear: when a major supplier fails, consolidators move quickly, and the businesses that thrive are those that diversify beyond the pump.
