IES Liquids | History

IES Liquids traces its history back to the founding of Cootes Transport Company in 1965, when Ian Cootes founded the business with one tanker truck contracted to BP Australia Ltd.

In 1972 Cootes was one of the first companies to commence the transportation of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) – an activity that remains at the heart of the business today. Working closely with our customers, Cootes was instrumental in the growth of LPG as a fuel in the early 1970s.

Cootes expanded significantly throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1987, the company was contracted by Shell Petroleum to transport petroleum products throughout the Riverina area of NSW. In 1993, the company was awarded a key contract by Shell to combine the Riverina petroleum cartage with the transport of chemicals and solvents from Melbourne to Sydney.

In 2000, Cootes was acquired by listed Australian company ION Limited. ION helped Cootes to pursue a number of growth opportunities in the petroleum and LPG sectors, including a successful entry into aviation refuelling at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne, a contract that was awarded in recognition of Cootes’ outstanding commitment to quality control and safe work practices. The company was subsequently awarded contracts for aviation refuelling at Adelaide and Perth airports.

Cootes further expanded its LPG business in 2003 through the acquisition of Stevenson’s Transport and Liquip International, a leading provider of specialist fuel handling equipment which now forms the basis of the IES Equipment division.

In 2005, IES acquired Cootes as its cornerstone division. Today Cootes operates under the IES Liquids brand and remains the leading fuel transport logistics provider in Australia.