About Peter Waddell
Born in Glasgow, Peter faced significant challenges from a young age. At just four years old, he entered care and later endured a period of homelessness.
Despite these hardships, Peter was determined to forge his own path. He began his working life as a chef before moving to London in the 1980s where he worked as a minicab driver.
During this time, Peter began to realise his long-held dream of building a car dealership. He ploughed his minicab earnings into purchasing cars at auction which occupied parking spaces along the road near his flat.
When his collection of cars had outgrown the street, he knew it was time to expand.
Going Big
Peter’s first showroom in Teynham, Kent, had room for just 14 cars. But by 2004, Peter had expanded his business to four sites across Kent.
He consolidated the dealerships into a single site in West Malling, Kent, which he christened Big Motoring World. This new showroom had capacity for 150 cars and employed 15 members of staff.
Over the course of three decades, Peter has transformed
Big Motoring World
into one of the largest and most successful car supermarket operations in the UK. Under Peter’s leadership, the company came to stock more than 10,000 vehicles from a wide array of manufacturers with more than 1400 members of staff working in the head office in Gillingham and showrooms across Kent, London and Peterborough.
Big Transport
In August 2024, Peter launched Big Transport (formerly AE Chilled), one of the UK's leading chilled goods distribution company.
Big Transport operates 50 HGVs and 60 trailers out of a Dover operating centre, offering daily delivery services of ambient, chilled and frozen goods to the leading retailers across the UK.
In addition to his automotive and logistics ventures, Peter has expanded his business interests into the UK property market, focusing on both residential housing developments and commercial properties.
Beyond Business
After facing difficulties early in life, Peter deeply understands the challenges that many people endure. This empathy has driven him to support various charitable initiatives, with a particular focus on the well-being of his staff, helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds and fostering young talent.
Through carefully targeted programmes, Peter has worked to empower individuals, providing them with the resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth that he himself lacked in his early years.