CITGO Petroleum Corp. is hoping to extend the reach of its CITGO fuel brand—currently only available east of the Rocky Mountains—into five new geographic markets with the launch of a brand licensing program for gasoline and convenience-store marketers and retailers. Initially targeting Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah, CITGO is also evaluating additional states for launch this year, the company said.
Houston-based CITGO Petroleum Inc. supplies a network of approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets.
“The licensing program is designed to drive business growth for licensees outside our current territories,” said Greg Caponegro, general manager of light oil sales. “By offering our brand and marketing support to retailers who source their own fuel, we can expand our presence and provide more consumers with the quality and service they expect from CITGO.”
The brand licensing program capitalizes on newly reformed TriClean, CITGO’s additive system with Top Tier designation and 50% more cleaning agents, while enabling participants to outsource their supply of gasoline.
Additionally, participating licensees can use the CITGO Illuminate brand image, the Club CITGO loyalty program, CITGO credit and payment cards, marketing support and customer service to draw new customers to the CITGO brand, said the company.
CITGO did not respond to a CSP request for comment by posting time.
Refiner and marketer CITGO Petroleum Corp. owns and operates three refineries—Lake Charles, Louisiana; Lemont, Illinois; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and jointly owns 38 active terminals, eight pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With a combined crude capacity of approximately 807,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth largest independent refiner in the United States. It transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. CITGO Petroleum is owned by CITGO Holding Inc. and is majority-owned by Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), a state-owned company of the Venezuelan government.
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