Former fuel protestor Mike Presneill sells haulage business

It has emerged that Mike Presneill, one of the founders of TransAction - the protest group that was at the heart of the strikes staged over high fuel prices in 2000 and 2008 – has sold his haulage business and retired from the industry.

The Isle of Sheppy, Kent-based Presneill Tipper Contractors (PTC), which Presneill set up in 1981, is now part of fellow Kent-based tipper contractor Ardula.

Now that the deal has been made public he told CM he wanted to thank his staff for running the business as he devoted his time to TransAction.

“The cause needs to continue,” Presneill said of the fight against the high price of fuel. “Every day there is something [in the media] about what it is doing to us. If it had not been for what a few individuals had done, and the trade press that carried what they did, we would not be where we are now.

“But the campaign has moved forward,” he added. “With Peter Carroll [and FairFuelUK] the government is listening.”

He explained that the sale of PTC to Ardula took place during the past 18 months as he looked to secure the future of the business. His wife Pauline will stay with the business for a short period, but sons Shaun and Asa will remain long-term, the later of whom as operations director.

Ardula MD Martin Dace, said: “I look at this acquisition as a way to expand the combined businesses and have plans to increase the size of the PTC lorry fleet.

“As we evolve, PTC will concentrate on longer haul work with its articulated and aluminium bodied tippers, while Ardula will carry out the muck away and local aggregates supply business,” he added.