When you visit your local CITGO to fill-up with gas, grab a snack, a hot cup of coffee, some groceries, and your breakfast, lunch or dinner, you're walking into a locally owned and operated business.
While there has been a world of change over the past century, a lot of things are not so different after all. Something extraordinary was brewing in 1910. A brilliant young entrepreneur and pioneer oilman by the name of Henry L. Doherty had a vision of creating exceptional business opportunities inspired by progressive ideas of improving the lives of everyday people. On September 2, 1910, Doherty founded the Cities Service Company...
Cities Service would, in due course, lead to today’s CITGO Petroleum Corporation. As one of the first corporations to supply gas and electric utility services to the rapidly developing Midwest, the Cities Service company quickly became a significant powerhouse, and wellspring of the oil and gas exploration, production, refining and marketing industries. From its founder’s contribution to lighting the Statue of Liberty for the first time in 1916, to supplying fuel to U.S. forces during World War II, Cities Service built its foundation as a prominent fixture in the nation’s oil and gas industry. In 1965, Cities Service debuted its new marketing brand, CITGO; and the now familiar “trimark” logo. Retaining the first syllable of its long-standing name and ending with “GO,” the brand symbolized energy and progressiveness.
Today, CITGO has cultivated a legacy of blending business with purpose, an identity that differentiates it from its industry peers. Our philanthropic DNA of helping improve people’s lives is built on a solid foundation of history, vision and values – all of which have stood the test of time. By blending business with purpose, there is balance between being a successful oil company, while giving back to our communities, demonstrating that after all this time, CITGO still specializes in "cities service."
It would, eventually, lead to today’s CITGO. The company was one of the first to supply gas and electricity to public utilities in the U.S.
The company was headquartered at 60 Wall Street in New York
Henry Doherty and Josef Pulitzer installed nighttime lighting on Lady Liberty in New York Harbor.
Cities Service subsidiaries produced half the oil used by the Allies in the final year of World War I.
one of the largest and most productive oil fields of all time. By now, Cities Services’ companies controlled or drilled 176 wells and produced 160,000 barrels per day.
Cities Service Marketing moved from Chicago, Illinois, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. That same year, the company expanded and was now comprised of 24 petroleum companies, 45 electric companies and 15 natural gas companies.
Company founder, Henry Doherty, received the Anthony Lucas Medal for “Distinguished Achievement for Improving the Technique of Finding and Producing Oil.”
The iconic Cities Service (now CITGO) sign was erected in Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts.
Cities Service completed construction of “the Big Inch” – the biggest, longest pipeline to date – which served to help supply petroleum products to the war effort.
During that same year, Cities Service refineries processed 53 million barrels of crude oil to fuel the war effort.
Cities Service oil tankers aided efforts delivering 32 million barrels of oil to military forces around the globe.
Cities Service unveiled its new marketing brand; retaining the first syllable of the heritage company and adding “GO” to imply power, energy and progressiveness.
Announced on May 16th, 1965.
CITGO Quik Mart debuted. This pioneering retail concept store combined the sale of gasoline with convenient food items.
The company that year was also acquired by the Southland Corporation, operators of the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores.
That year, the company sponsored the Wood Brothers NASCAR race team.
The official company volunteer group was founded.
CITGO employees and Marketers raised a record $1.25 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
That same year, the former Champlin Refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, became a part of the company’s refining network.
Approximately 14,885 CITGO branded retail outlets existed. At the time, the number of outlets was more than any other company in the nation.
PDV Midwest Refinery in Lemont, Illinois became part of CITGO refining operations.
CITGO relocated its headquarters from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Houston, Texas.
On September 2, CITGO celebrated its 100-year heritage with a clean, new, contemporary brand image.
In Boston, 2015 marked the 75th year since the original CITGO Sign was installed atop Kenmore Square, becoming one of the most iconic landmarks of the city’s skyline.
CITGO, the largest corporate sponsor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), celebrated its 30-year partnership with MDA, which raised nearly $200 million since January 1986.
Employee volunteer group, Team CITGO, celebrated 30 years since its founding in Lake Charles, Louisiana.