Citgo

Our Story

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...

And so began the heritage of an enduring success story.

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."