New facilities for female HGV drivers, Darlington’s community spirit and the bright lights of the forecourt -Shelley Atkinson shows us Behind the Business at Newton Park following its highly celebrated transformation.

Tell us about how you came to be at JET Newton Park?

I’ve been working at Newton Park for nearly 20 years now - and the time has flown! I’ve worked since I was 14,initially helping my mum with cleaning jobs and worked in numerous retail jobs before joining Newton Park.

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We’re a tight knit team and some of our staff have been with us for a good 15 years. We became a JET company owned site 3 years ago and it’s been amazing. We’ve felt very supported by Phillips 66 Limited and if we ever need anything, Wayne Oakes (District Manager) is always around to help.

What do you love most about your job?

The people! We have lots of regulars who I always enjoy catching up with. From the ‘wagon drivers’ to the locals popping in for a pint of milk, they’re a friendly bunch. We’re like one big family. I like to take care of my customers. Keeping the shop clean and tidy, and listening to their requests. They really appreciate it.

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Walk us through a day in your life.

I come in at around 7.30am in the morning. Do an inspection of the forecourt and shop to check it’s all clean and tidy. I’m very thorough so I walk down each aisle giving it a good onceover. Then once I’m happy with everything, I’ll head into the office (which is now much bigger since the refit) to do paperwork, sort out orders, deliveries and so on. I’ll also keep an eye on how things are going in the cafe and deli. The days are always full and often fly by.

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Tell us about the recent JET transformation?

I love it! It’s a far cry from the early days when we were basically just a cubby hole in the wall and falling apart at the seams. Ever since we’ve been with JET, we’ve had all our customer requests answered and look very smart. They really listen to us.

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The bright lights of the forecourt really make a statement and when you’re driving up the road you can’t miss it! We’re now a much bigger site with an increased canopy for our HGV drivers and generally more parking space for customers. We also have updated facilities for HGV drivers and best of all - we now have separate, renovated shower and toilet facilities for men and women. There’s also brand new JET branded pumps. They look very smart and there are so many great things it’s impossible to mention all in here!

And can you give us an insider’s view of the new shop?

We’ve had all new fridges, shelves and low level lights put in. There’s a telly for the drivers, hot meals that are cooked on site and overnight parking. JET has responded to all our customer feedback, including the call for F’Real Smoothies and milkshakes - a popular request before the renovation work. We’re always committed to keeping our customers’ sweet!

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Describe your job in three words?

Enriching, satisfying, sociable.

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