WITH 2020 APPROACHING, VALERO’S Texas City refinery plans to continue doing what has done: stay in the forefront of the Texas City/Galveston County area both at and away from its facilities. Although there currently is not a huge project planned for the upcoming year, Valero does intent to make its 112th year of existence impactful.
“We’re never taking a back seat or resting on our laurels,” said Valero lead community relations specialist Michael Walter. “We’re always looking for ways we can improve things for our employees along with finding ways we can contribute to the community.”
Among the examples Walter stated was an increase in funds to the emergency response training along with joint training exercises with Texas City’s Emergency Management team. More funds have also been available to increase safety in the refinery.
However, it is within the community where Valero continues to make a considerable impact, one that will continue once the calendar flips into a new decade.
“We will always continue doing things to help make this community stronger,” said Walter. “That is a very important issue for our employees.”
Among the contributions Valero has made this year was a brand-new forklift for the Texas ISD Industrial Trades Center. Donated in September, the $90,000 forklift has helped students receive hands-on training that will help make them more marketable in the job market, one that is on the verge of a possible rise due in part to the number of businesses that are planning to make Galveston County home over the next few years. Residential developments such as Texas City’s Lago Mar will also provide opportunities for those students once they graduate high school.
Since 2012, Valero has given over $4.4 million to the Texas City/Galveston County community, including $2.6 million to children’s charities alone, through the Valero Texas Open Benefit for Children. Since 2016, Valero has given over $380,000 to support the TCISD Industrial Trades Center. Valero gave over $600,000 to the local United Way this year, a significant increase from the $360,000 donated to the United Way in 2018.
The donation is one of the latest from Valero, which gave a brand-new box truck to the Salvation Army last week.
This year will also mark the seventh straight year that Valero will be ranked in the Civic 50, which honors the most community-minded companies in the United States.
