The Audensberg Service Station in High Street recently became the first site in Worcester to feature the new Astron Energy branding.
The rebrand from Caltex to Astron Energy’s vibrant orange and purple design forms part of the fuel company’s drive to rebrand its network of over 850 Caltex service stations across South Africa. The company recently marked the rebrand of its 100th site.
Long-time retailer and CEO of Astron Energy Audensberg, Thys Meyer, said customers visiting the rebranded site have all been blown away by the new look of the service station.
“All visitors to the site say ‘Wow, this looks great’,” he said. “We are excited to have been the first to move over to Astron Energy in Worcester, and have already seen a positive response to the brand by our loyal customers.”
A total of three Caltex service stations in Worcester will be rebranded to Astron Energy by the end of the year, while a fourth site has seen a change from a competitor brand to Astron Energy.
The Audensberg service station dates back to the 1950s and photographs in the company offices showcase the history and legacy of the site which forms an integral part of the prominent Toyota dealership on High Street.
Meyer, who bought the business in December 1999, said: “We are very excited to move to the new Astron Energy brand.”
According to Meyer the new brand, with its vibrant colours and energy, provided the perfect platform, and he and his team are focused on matching the brand promise with service excellence which he says is “absolutely essential”.
This was echoed by company director Michael Meyer, who said the site was awarded the accolade for best service station in its category last year by Astron Energy’s regional Branded Marketer partner MOOV Fuels.
Forecourt Supervisor Charmain Swanevelder said: “Our customer-service attendants (CSAs) often have a 100% customer service scores, as recorded by the Astron Energy mystery shopper programme. Many of the CSAs have been part of the team for more than 10 years and have built up trusted and long-standing relationships with customers.”
Finance manager Francois Mouton said part of the company’s focus on customer service was reliability, which is important in a town such as Worcester. “Always having fuel on hand is of the utmost importance.
“Furthermore, there is a big generator on site and we also have solar to help power our forecourt and business premises during load shedding.”
The Audensberg team has a long and proud history of community involvement and support for various initiatives in the town and see the new Astron Energy brand as an important part of building on this legacy.
Thys added Audensberg has also supported the various facilities for special needs children and people in the community, including hosting an annual braai.
“Our customers are drawn from the broader Worcester community, from our poorer areas to our farming community, and we believe it is important to give back to those who are so loyal in supporting us.”
Astron Energy is South Africa’s second largest petroleum network with over 850 service stations.
The rebrand from Caltex to Astron Energy is the most significant change in the South African liquid fuels industry in three decades.
Astron Energy General Manager Retail Sales and Marketing for Astron Energy Farouk Farista says the new brand allows the company to step confidently into the future, one in which its aims “to welcome customers to our exciting new-look forecourts and experiences”.
Astron Energy Audensberg is celebrating its opening with a fun-filled day of festivities and give-aways on Friday 18 August, when motorists can drive onto the forecourt, register for the Astron Energy Rewards programme and stands a chance to win instant spot prizes.
