March 4, 2017, marks the 20th anniversary of American Refining Group Inc.’s ownership of the Bradford refinery. Early in our history we saw difficult years, but the employees, crude producers and the community all pulled together to help us survive. We have seen the company grow from 165 employees in March 1997 to 350 today. We have also seen a tremendous amount of change. In 20 years, we have invested close to $120 million in our facility. Throughout the years, we have automated loading racks and controls for our units. We installed a fiber-optic backbone to enhance electronic communications both internally and externally. We added storage tanks and upgraded rail sidings in both Bradford and Sandyville, Ohio. We purchased myriad rolling stock – from trucks to cranes to fire engines. We upgraded our infrastructure and added numerous pieces of state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. Some of our bigger accomplishments include:
Purchase of the Sandyville crude-gathering facility in 2001;
Implementation of the charitable-giving strategy and employee matching-gift program;
Commissioning of the Isomerization Unit in 2003, and the diesel hydrotreater in 2008;
Replacement of the convection section of the Crude Unit furnace in 2011;
Addition of a backup generator at the Boiler House and MEK Unit; a fire-suppression system at the Blending Plant; and a new building in Sandyville in 2015;
Investment in the Novvi joint venture (high-quality, bio-based oil) in 2016;
Commissioning of the new No. 6 natural-gas-fired boiler in 2017, and
as you know we are not finished for 2017; we hope to complete both the flare-gas-recovery project and the new Quality Lab in early summer.
All the while, we have never stopped investing in our people; throughout our history we have increased wages based on market information despite years when other companies have kept wages flat. We have enhanced our benefits with the ESOP, health savings accounts and wellness initiatives. We will continue to make training and development a priority to provide ARG a pipeline of future leaders.
Of course, we have still more investments to make as we develop new products and pursue new business. These will be carefully considered in conjunction with our long-term business strategy and market conditions for, as the industry has fluctuated, so have we. We have had lean years, good years and fantastic years. Regardless of our profitability, throughout our history we have continuously strengthened our foundation. As we continue to focus our efforts on our commitments to safety, quality, crude supply and operational excellence this will only bolster our foundation, helping us endure the current lean period and position the company for success far into the future.
Reflecting on the past 20 years, the one constant has been all of our employees. Your dedication and hard work has always been the mainstay for everything we have accomplished. You, along with our past employees, deserve a special note of thanks for your loyalty, commitment and perseverance in adapting to an ever changing landscape. We applaud your efforts and look forward to a bright future.
