The Maxol Story

Founded in 1920, the family-owned Maxol Group is one of the biggest energy providers in Ireland. In this podcast series, historian Turtle Bunbury charts a story of ingenuity, adversity and fortitude from the earliest years of the McMullan family through global wars, oil crises and economic hardship to the present-day challenges of climate change, Covid 19 and technological advance.

Chapter 11: Ahead 09/30/2021

Chapter 11: Ahead The last of the original depots are phased out as a new generation of award-winning service stations begin to appear across the island. The company rides out the economic recession and turns its attention to green energy options, while Covid 19 rears its head just as Maxol prepares to mark its centenary. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20404466

Chapter 10: Merge 09/29/2021

Chapter 10: Merge The company pushes into third place in the race to be Ireland’s largest petrol retailer with the ‘Deal of the Decade’ and a renewed focus on retail. A transformative restructure creates the Maxol Group, while a reunification of management from ‘north and south’ becomes a corporate blueprint. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20398298

Chapter 9: Freedom 09/29/2021

Chapter 9: Freedom Maxol breaks free from Shell and launches a rebrand media blitz with new colours, a massively successful advertising campaign (Free a Nipper!) and some immaculately timed sporting sponsorship. Importing fuel into Drogheda and rationalisation are among the way to confront the Mandatory Regime and Price Control. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20396252

Chapter 8: Strike 09/29/2021

Chapter 8: Strike The Troubles in Northern Ireland, two major global oil crises and a glut of domestic strikes piles on the pressure as the next generation of McMullans take the helm. The company homes in on improving stations, staff and trucks, while a new venture in central heating is launched. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20384867

Chapter 7: Swing 09/29/2021

Chapter 7: Swing The Maxol brand is born in an age of newness from forecourts, pumps and trucks to strategies and uniforms. Drivers such as Billy ‘True Gel’ Murray and Rasher Halligan assert their rights at the East Wall depot while the death of the Boss paves the way /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20384183

Chapter 6: Solus 09/29/2021

Chapter 6: Solus The boom strikes but the McMullans face severe pressure from the multinational oil giants and the solus system. The advent of diesel and a joint venture to establish Kosangas help save the day. Global politics comes into play with crises in Iran and /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20383325

Chapter 5: Emergency 09/29/2021

Chapter 5: Emergency With Europe decimated by war, McMullans finds itself swallowed up by government ministries on both sides of the Irish border. The Boss takes a new wife, as do his two oldest sons, while everyone waits patiently for a post-war boom. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20383184

Chapter 4: Turbulence 09/29/2021

Chapter 4: Turbulence The oil industry rides out the Great Depression as McMullan’s stalwarts like the mysterious Major McMahon, Wimbledon champion Jean Borotra and golfing great Cecil Ewing make their mark. Shell pile on the pressure but a new generation of McMullans is coming to the fore. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20336453

Chapter 3: Roar 09/29/2021

Chapter 3: Roar McMullan Brothers is born into a world of pogroms, riots, partition, and civil war; the directors hold their nerve and are running the biggest motor fleet in Ireland by the mid-20s. There are pay-rises all round but the relationship between the McMullan /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20336372

Chapter 2: Fuel 09/29/2021

Chapter 2: Fuel Remarkable ties with Michael Collins, the tragedy of the Somme and the evolution of the motor car industry form the backdrop as we follow founding father William /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20336321

Chapter 1: Genesis 09/29/2021

Chapter 1: Genesis A sensational bigamy trial and a historical interest in kelp are among the tales told in this first episode, which explores the back-story of the McMullan family from the plantations of the 17th century through until the birth of Maxol’s founders. /episode/index/show/maxol/id/20335868

The Maxol Story

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