TAYLOR, Mich. -- More than four years after undertaking efforts to present an environmentally friendly image, Atlas Oil Co. is turning to its employees to decide the best methods to continue the endeavor. Next month, the company will ask its employees to further drive the green initiatives with its first in-house "When 'Green' Things Happen to Good Companies" campaign, which will encourage team members to make "green" suggestions through the company's Ideas Make Cents employee suggestion program.
Efforts by oil companies and gasoline retailers to present an environmentally [image-nocss] friendly image come in many shapes and sizes, and for Atlas Oil Co., its more than four-year undertaking aims to make being "green" easy for its customers. "We sell, deliver, promote and encourage the use of green products," Karen Johnson, marketing analyst for the company, told CSP Daily News. "We regularly attend green seminars and expos, as well as promote green events."
Since 2002, the Taylor, Mich.-based company has been spreading the "green" gospel and providing the facilities and products necessary for consumers to begin making an environmental difference.
Its lineup of renewable fuels includes biodiesel (ranging from B2 to B99), E85 and E10. "These renewable fuels help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, as well as benefit our United States agriculture and economics," Johnson said.
In 2006, the company created a renewable fuels logo and began "catering" to the green needs of celebrities, including Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and The Dave Matthews Band, and their crews when they performed in the Detroit area and needed to fuel their biodiesel-fueled tour buses.
At the same time, Atlas Oil was turning its attention in-house, making changes in its offices and other facilities. It added a "green" fund to its 401k portfolio early this year to allow environmentally conscious team members the option to vote "green" with their retirement investment dollars, which Atlas matches at 50% on the dollar for the first 6%.
Other office initiatives:
All team members include the following question on the bottom of their e-mail correspondence: Please consider the environment. Do you really need to print this email?There are recycling bins at each work area. All company waste paper is recycled 100%. "We have a program with a location company to pick it up once per week," Johnson said. The company uses energy-saving fluorescent lights in the office. It recycles 100% of its waste metal in the maintenance warehouse. The company uses only recycled ink and toner cartridges. It has discontinued the use of foam and plastic disposable cups in its offices and moved to paper products. It has installed in some spaces automatic light switches so the lights turn on upon entry and motion sensors turn them off. It uses recycled paper towels in its restrooms.
Meanwhile, Atlas Oil was voted one of the top places to work in Southeast Michigan in a survey conducted by the Detroit Free Press. The company will be acknowledged in newspaper on Sunday, Oct. 5.
"What makes [CEO] Sam Simon so pleased is that this survey didn't come from any outside public-relations firm or us bragging about ourselves," said Toni Stafford, vice president of human resources. "The results were entirely based on what team members said about the company on a confidential survey.
Headquartered in Taylor, Mich., Atlas Oil is a major distributor and retailer of petroleum products and related services in the Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin markets.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.