Applegreen eyeing US growth and possible stock market exit

Consortium of original founders and US private equity firm Blackstone offers lucrative way forward for forecourt operator

Joe Barrett, chief operations officer of Applegreen, with Bob Etchingham, its chief executive. Picture: Jason Clarke Photography

Just five years after Applegreen, the forecourt operator, went public the company last week announced it was in advanced talks with a consortium to take it off the stock market.

The consortium, made up of founders Joe Barrett and Bob Etchingham through B&J Holdings, alongside US private equity firm Blackstone, has made an offer of €5.75 a share.

This represents a 50 per cent return on the 2015 floating price of €3.80, and would value ...