CITGO celebrates 100 years
CITGO Petroleum Corp. is marking its 100 years of existence by taking a look back at how the company came into being and then evolved. The brand dates back to the Cities Service Co. and continues today as a petroleum refining and marketing company in the US. With the backing of its shareholder, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of Venezuela, CITGO is the third largest independent refiner and sixth largest branded gasoline supplier. CITGO is marking its 100 year anniversary with special events in Houston; Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Lemont, Illinois; and Orlando, Florida.
"When a company successfully navigates through 100 years of history and all the associated changes, it is something truly exciting and deserving of great recognition," said CITGO President and CEO Alejandro Granado. "Our company is built on a strong foundation of solid business operations, the best possible service to our customers and support for the communities we serve. Through every major milestone of our history, from the introduction of the CITGO brand in 1965 to the launch of our heating oil and Fueling Good programs in the late 2000s, CITGO employees and local marketers and retailers have stood by us and helped us succeed."
The Cities Service Co.was established on September 2, 1910, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and played a role in the development of the petroleum industry in the US. Founder Henry Doherty was a pioneer in oil exploration and refining and was one of the first to provide gas and electricity to the masses. He was also a philanthropist by nature, supporting research in infantile paralysis and acting as a good steward of the environment.
Through the 1920s and 1930s, Cities Service led the way in the post-war economic boom and was an integral part of the post-depression recovery and infrastructure development. The company built its flagship Lake Charles, Louisiana refinery in 1942 to support the war effort by providing aviation fuel. Today the refinery is among the largest in the United States, with a capacity of 425,000 bpd.
Comments