After more than two decades in Blackburn, EG Group has confirmed it will relocate its UK office to Bolton, while its global headquarters will move to Charlotte, North Carolina.
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The news marks the end of a 24-year association with its hometown, where the Issa brothers grew the business from a single forecourt in Bury into a multi-billion-pound empire.
The decision raises immediate questions about the future of the company’s £35m purpose-built Blackburn headquarters on Haslingden Road, opened in 2020 with space for more than 700 staff.
In its second-quarter update, EG Group said the move to Bolton would allow it to “retain its roots in the North West” but also acknowledged the office footprint would reflect its reduced presence in the UK and Europe. That suggests the new Bolton site is likely to be a slimmer operation, focused on shared services rather than the full-scale corporate functions once based in Blackburn.
Blackburn with Darwen councillor Saj Ali described the decision as “a huge blow for the borough”, urging EG Group to ensure jobs are protected and staff supported if relocation is the only option.
The firm is in the middle of a significant transition. Zuber Issa now runs his separate venture, EG On The Move, which purchased the UK forecourt business earlier this year but still operates from the Haslingden Road site. Mohsin Issa has stepped back to focus on new investments. EG Group itself is now led by New York-based chief executive Russ Colaco.
Financially, the company reported a small dip in earnings in the last quarter, with European growth offset by weaker performance in the U.S. However, management pointed to new foodservice partnerships and the rebranding of U.S. outlets under the Cumberland Farms brand as signs of progress.
For Blackburn, though, the shift represents more than just a change of address. It signals a clear scaling back of EG Group’s UK footprint and leaves open the question of what happens to one of the borough’s most high-profile office developments.
