Taylor, Mich.-based Atlas Oil Co., that stalwart of efficient energy practices and environmental consciousness, has been chosen by The Detroit Free Press as one of the best places to work in Southeast Michigan.
The newspaper conducted a survey several months ago and recently announced Atlas as a top winner. The company will be recognized in the paper’s Oct. 4 edition.
Atlas Oil CEO Sam Simon said the survey results are particularly pleasing because they weren’t born from any outside public relations firm or the company bragging about itself. Rather, the results were entirely based on what team members said about the company in a confidential survey completed several months ago.
Atlas had more than 70% of employees respond to the survey, when only a 40% response rate was required to be considered.
The company, founded in 1986, is part of Simon Holdings, an entity established in 2000 to bring together a group of companies owned by Sam Simon. Simon Holdings’ other enterprises include FastTrack Ventures and Seaway Fuels Trucking. Through its fuel distribution operations, Simon Holdings distributes fuel to commercial, industrial, retail and residential customers in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Green Employees
Atlas Oil recently gave a running tally of its ambitious energy conservation and alternative fuels programming. In 2002, it began offering renewable fuels, including biodiesel, ethanol, E85, E10 and renewable diesel. In its raw form, biodiesel is known as B100, though blends of biodiesel range from B2 (2% Biodiesel and 98% petroleum diesel) to B99.
Atlas Oil said these renewable fuels not only help reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil, but also benefit the country’s agriculture and economy, many of whom are local customers. The company is one of a small group of biodiesel distributors in southeast Michigan and the only one with onsite, indoor-heated bulk storage.
In 2006, the company created a renewable fuels logo, a bit of a footnote among the countless changes it has made to head up the green energy movement.