HOUSTON -- CITGO Petroleum Corp. is testing a solution to make gasoline dispensers at its gas stations as clean as possible by partnering with disposable glove company, U-Glove, for a consumer pilot effort at its Retail Concept Center in Houston.
Developed in 2014, the inspiration for U-Glove came when founder Antonio Lyon of Weston, Fla., observed that sanitary gloves are commonplace at gas pumps in Europe while there on a family trip. Lyon brought the concept to the United States with the goal of preventing the transmission of germs and also avoiding the dirt, grease and fuel smell from direct hand-contact with the pump.
With glove dispensers easily accessible at the pump, the disposable gloves themselves are made of polyethylene, a hypoallergenic plastic that prevents the transfer of germs and fuel odor during the fueling experience. The gloves are also recyclable, making them an environmentally friendly choice.
CITGO is the first national petroleum company to partner with Miramar, Fla.-based U-Glove Inc. The consumer test is currently in progress, and pending the results, CITGO will look at opportunities to make U-Glove available to the approximately 6,000 stations within its national footprint beginning later this year.
Houston-based CITGO has three U.S. refineries with combined capacity of approximately 750,000 barrels per day. They are in Lemont, Ill., Lake Charles, La., and Corpus Christi, Texas. Independent CITGO-branded marketers sell motor fuels through nearly 6,000 gas stations and convenience stores in 30 states. The company is owned by CITGO Holding Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
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