UK forecourt operator Ascona Group has revealed that Costcutter founder Colin Graves has join its board as non-executive director as of 1st April.

Graves began his career at 16 by working at grocery franchise Spar, finishing his 16-year term after working his way to the position of sales director.

Following his time at Spar, Graves founded Costcutter in 1986, going on to serve as chairman until 2012. His time at the company saw Costcutter grow from one store to over 1,700, where he played a pivotal role in the expansion of the group.

Before joining Ascona, Graves served six years as chairman of the advisory board at Nisa, a partner to Ascona.

Darren Briggs, founder and chief executive officer of Ascona Group, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Colin to the Ascona family. His unparalleled expertise in the convenience retail sector and visionary leadership are exactly what we need to help us execute our strategic ambitions.

“As a fellow founder of a business, Colin’s track record of success at Costcutter speaks for itself, and we are confident that his insights will be invaluable to us all as we continue to innovate and expand our world-class operations across the country.”

Graves said: “I am very excited to be joining Ascona, a business I have admired for a long time and watched closely as it has grown.

“The business commitment to delivering quality, value and convenience to road users and communities across the country resonate with my own values and I look forward to working with Darren and the team on the next phase of its story.”