Peregrine Corporation

Peregrine Corporation is an Australian privately owned business founded in Adelaide in 1984 by Fred (Fathi) Shahin after he purchased a BP service station in Woodville. The company grew from a single service station into a diversified Shahin family enterprise with activities spanning fuel retail, convenience stores, tobacconists, variety retail, hospitality, property, construction and motorsport. Its most prominent former consumer businesses were the On the Run, or OTR, chain of service stations and convenience stores in South Australia, and the Smokemart and Giftbox businesses, which operated tobacconists, vaping outlets and variety-retail stores across Australia. Peregrine expanded its fuel-retail network through the acquisition of 29 Mobil outlets in South Australia in 2010 and 25 company-owned BP outlets in 2014. These sites were progressively converted into larger, often 24-hour OTR stores combining fuel sales with convenience retail and food offerings. By April 2023, the OTR network exceeded 170 sites. The company also developed a substantial motorsport presence. In 2015 it announced plans to redevelop the former Mitsubishi Motors Australia testing facility near Tailem Bend as The Bend Motorsport Park, which opened in 2017. In 2017 Peregrine acquired Mallala Motor Sport Park, adding an established South Australian circuit to its motorsport portfolio. The company's broader property, construction and development interests are associated with the Peregrine Property, Construction & Development division. Peregrine entered South Australian foodservice in 2016 by acquiring rights to operate Guzman y Gomez restaurants in the state. Its retail expansion and large network made it one of Australia's largest privately held businesses. The Australian Financial Review ranked it among the country's leading private companies in 2020, reporting an estimated annual revenue of A$2.6 billion; this figure is an attributed contemporary estimate rather than a publicly reported listed-company result. In April 2023 Peregrine agreed to sell OTR to Viva Energy. The proposed transaction also covered Smokemart and Giftbox and Mogas, subject to regulatory clearances. Following the transaction, the Shahin family retained its Peregrine property, construction and motorsport interests and became a shareholder in Viva Energy. Peregrine therefore remained an active family-controlled enterprise, although the sale substantially changed its consumer-retail footprint. The company has also faced public scrutiny over employment practices, environmental handling of construction soil, disposable-cup policy and local development proposals.

Fred Shahin was born in Palestine and moved with his family to Lebanon in 1948. He later trained as an accountant and worked as a United Nations auditor for 27 years. In 1984 he migrated with his family to Australia. After initially settling in Sydney, the family moved to Adelaide, where Shahin purchased a BP service station in Woodville when he was unable to find suitable employment. The family lived at the site, and this purchase became the foundation of Peregrine Corporation. The business soon moved beyond its first service station. Peregrine developed a chain of Smokemart tobacco stores across Adelaide, establishing an early retail platform alongside fuel sales. After Fred Shahin's death, his sons Yasser, Khalil (Charlie) and Samer (Sam) assumed responsibility for the family business. Their leadership supported a period of aggressive expansion in South Australian fuel and convenience retail. In 2010 Peregrine purchased 29 Mobil fuel outlets in South Australia. In 2014 it acquired 25 company-owned BP outlets. Many acquired sites were rebranded and upgraded as OTR stores, frequently operating around the clock and combining fuel, convenience products and prepared food. This acquisition-led model made OTR one of South Australia's most visible retail networks. By April 2023 Peregrine controlled more than 170 OTR service stations and convenience stores, in addition to its Smokemart and Giftbox operations. Peregrine diversified during the 2010s. In 2015 it announced the redevelopment of a former Mitsubishi Motors Australia test facility outside Tailem Bend into The Bend Motorsport Park. The venue opened in 2017, and in the same year Peregrine purchased Mallala Motor Sport Park. These investments created a motorsport division alongside the company's property and construction activities. In 2016 the company acquired rights to operate Guzman y Gomez restaurants in South Australia. The scale of the business placed the Shahin family among Australia's prominent private-business owners. The Australian Financial Review included Peregrine among its Top 500 Private Companies in 2020 and reported estimated annual revenue of A$2.6 billion, ranking the company ninth nationally and first in South Australia at that time. Because Peregrine was privately held, these figures were estimates rather than exchange-disclosed financial statements. The company's retail operations attracted controversy. Nasmin Pty Ltd, the registered owner of Nasmin Farm, was fined A$28,000 in relation to the 2012 dumping of about 2,000 tonnes of slightly contaminated soil from an OTR redevelopment. In 2018 OTR's ban on reusable coffee cups drew criticism from customers and environmental campaigners. Employment practices generated more serious legal scrutiny: a 2020 Federal Court class action alleged widespread underpayment and other wage-minimisation practices, while separate employment proceedings resulted in awards to individual workers. In April 2023 Peregrine agreed to sell OTR to Viva Energy. The proposed acquisition included Smokemart and Giftbox and Mogas and required approval from Australian competition and foreign-investment authorities. The Shahin family retained Peregrine's property, construction and motorsport divisions and was to receive an ownership interest in Viva Energy. The transaction marked a major strategic shift away from the retail network that had defined Peregrine's national profile. The family continued to pursue other assets; in 2024 Charlie Shahin, through a separate company, acquired Aileron Station and nearby Oolloo Farm in the Northern Territory. Those assets were not identified as Peregrine Corporation businesses.

• 2023

  OTR transaction with Viva Energy agreed

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Peregrine agreed to sell its OTR, Smokemart, Giftbox and Mogas businesses to Viva Energy, subject to approvals.

• 2017

  The Bend opens and Mallala is acquired

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The Bend Motorsport Park opened and Peregrine announced its purchase of Mallala Motor Sport Park.

• 2016

  Guzman y Gomez rights acquired

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Peregrine acquired rights to operate Guzman y Gomez restaurants in South Australia.

• 2015

  The Bend development announced

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Peregrine announced plans to redevelop a former Mitsubishi Motors Australia test site near Tailem Bend as a motorsport park.

• 2014

  BP outlet acquisition

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The company acquired 25 company-owned BP outlets and converted acquired sites into OTR-branded operations.

• 2010

  Mobil outlet acquisition

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Peregrine acquired 29 Mobil fuel outlets in South Australia.

• 1984

  Peregrine is founded through a BP service-station purchase

  [1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Fred Shahin purchased a BP service station in Woodville, Adelaide, creating the foundation of Peregrine Corporation.

A privately owned, family-controlled Australian diversified enterprise built from fuel retail and convenience stores and later extended into hospitality, property and motorsport.

• Service stations and convenience retail

  OTR

  OTR was Peregrine's South Australian network of fuel stations and convenience stores. The format developed through the conversion of acquired Mobil and BP sites and commonly combined fuel retail, convenience groceries, prepared food and extended or 24-hour trading. Peregrine agreed to sell the chain to Viva Energy in 2023.

• Tobacco and vaping retail

  Smokemart

  Smokemart was Peregrine's tobacco-retail business, later operating across Australia and associated with vaping and related products. It was included in the retail businesses covered by the 2023 Viva Energy transaction.

• Variety retail

  Giftbox

  Giftbox operated as a variety-retail business within Peregrine's nationwide SMGB portfolio. It was included with Smokemart and other retail assets in the agreed sale to Viva Energy.

• Motorsport facility · 2017

  The Bend Motorsport Park

  The Bend is a motorsport complex at Tailem Bend, South Australia, developed by Peregrine on a former Mitsubishi Motors Australia testing site. It opened in 2017 and became a principal asset of Peregrine's motorsport division, which was retained by the Shahin family after the 2023 retail sale.

• Motorsport facility · 2017

  Mallala Motor Sport Park

  Mallala Motor Sport Park is an established South Australian circuit acquired by Peregrine in 2017. It forms part of the company's retained motorsport interests.

• 2020

  Worker underpayment allegations and proceedings

  A class action alleged that OTR workers were underpaid through unpaid overtime, wage-minimisation practices and misuse of traineeship arrangements. Separate proceedings resulted in compensation and payment orders for individual employees.

  Source

• 2018

  Reusable-cup ban criticism

  OTR faced criticism from consumers and environmental groups after banning reusable coffee cups, amid concerns about disposable-cup waste.

  Source

• 2012

  Soil-dumping fine connected with OTR redevelopment

  Nasmin Pty Ltd was fined A$28,000 over the dumping of approximately 2,000 tonnes of slightly contaminated soil taken from an OTR-store redevelopment at Nasmin Farm.

  Source

Read more

• 2023

  Sell OTR retail portfolio to Viva EnergyM&A

  Background

  Peregrine's OTR network and associated Smokemart, Giftbox and Mogas businesses represented its major consumer-retail platform.

  Action taken

  Peregrine agreed terms for Viva Energy to acquire the retail businesses, subject to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Foreign Investment Review Board clearance. The Shahin family retained the property, construction and motorsport divisions and was to become a Viva Energy shareholder.

  Aftermath

  The agreement shifted Peregrine's strategic centre away from fuel and convenience retail while preserving its family-controlled non-retail operations.

  Source

• 2015

  Develop a major motorsport park at Tailem BendStrategy

  Background

  Peregrine sought to diversify beyond retail by redeveloping a former Mitsubishi Motors Australia testing facility.

  Action taken

  The company announced the development of The Bend Motorsport Park, which opened in 2017.

  Aftermath

  The Bend became a core asset of Peregrine's retained motorsport division.

  Source

• 2023

  Peregrine agrees to sell OTR retail businesses to Viva Energy[1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Peregrine agreed terms for Viva Energy to acquire OTR, Smokemart and Giftbox, and Mogas, subject to Australian regulatory approvals. Peregrine's property, construction and motorsport activities were excluded from the sale.

• 2017

  The Bend Motorsport Park opens[1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Peregrine opened The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend after redeveloping a former Mitsubishi Motors Australia testing site.

• 2017

  Peregrine acquires Mallala Motor Sport Park[1]Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The company expanded its motorsport portfolio by purchasing Mallala Motor Sport Park in South Australia.

1. 1Peregrine Corporationen.wikipedia.org