A Midlands entrepreneur who fled to Britain from Sri Lanka has expanded his petrol station interests.
Dr Velautham Sarveswaran and his wife Ananthi have paid an undisclosed sum for an outlet at Maypole in Birmingham.
The deal has been put together with advice from Stratford-upon-Avon based Lodders Solicitors and partner Alastair Frew.
The petrol station at 814 Alcester Road has been closed for a couple of years or so and Dr Sarveswaran intends turning it back into its former use under the Harvest Energy brand.
The acquisition, part-funded by HSBC bank, will complement the petrol station cum convenience store the couple have at Bransons Cross, Beoley, Redditch.
He plans a similar dual operation at Maypole to open later this year.
The transaction bucks the trend of smaller operators being forced out of the sector due to tight margins and the cost of overheads.
Dr Sarveswaran, who came to the UK to escape the 1983-2009 civil war between Government forces and the Tamil Tigers, said: “This is a good location near the Maypole and on the A435, with plenty of passing traffic and a lively local community.
“We believe it is a site from which we can offer a good service to the locals and commuters. We will be providing a comprehensive package – a competitive price for petrol and a convenience store with many different lines.
“We are confident that with plenty of hard work we can get the business viable again and make it a success as we have proved at Bransons Cross. The business is run by the family with the help of staff. My wife and I spend long hours, which reduce the overheads significantly.
“We have a strong relationship with our fuel supplier, Harvest Energy, who have been providing very good support to us. This helps us to be competitive in the market and survive in the current market conditions.”
Mr Frew said: “Dr Sarveswaran is an astute businessman who I am sure will make a success of this venture.
“He has done his homework on this site and I wish him well with the project.”
Dr Sarveswaran was until last year a part time structural engineer looking after bridges and other structures on the Midlands motorway network for the Highways Agency.
He is now full time with the family business.