Commercial & Industrial Oil Company, Inc. was formed in Beaumont, Texas in 1981 under the ownership of Gene E. Bates. C&I Oil Company, today, is a CITGO distributor for southeast Texas. Monlezun Oil Company, Inc., a company formed in 1956 as a Sinclair distributor by Mr. Eddie Monlezun, Mr. Bates' grandfather, is the predecessor company to C&I Oil Company. Until April 2005, operations for the company were located at 201 South M.L. King Parkway. The site of our previous operations was the oldest, continuously operating fuel bulk plant in the nation, lasting for 102 years. Started in March 1903 by Pierce Oil Company, the predecessor company to Sinclair Oil Company, fuel at one time was delivery in mule drawn tankers. Sinclair purchased the site in 1918 and operated there as a division of its marketing operations until Mr. Monlezun was hired and Sinclair decided to create branded distributors in 1956.

In 1978, Mr. Bates joined his grandfathers company after graduating college and quickly learned that the environment surrounding fuel bulk plant operations was changing. Not only was the industry changing but the regulatory environment was too. It was apparent that the business would have to grow to sustain the additional cost associated with continued operations. Plans began for extensive changes in operations, centered on environmental compliance with operational excellence. In 1991, the first double walled tank in Jefferson County was installed at this site. In 2002, Mr. Bates began looking for new property and the site at College and Langham Street was purchased. The College Street property was a closed truck stop that had extensive environmental problems. Undeterred, an extensive and expensive cleanup operation began removing contaminated soil, tanks and piping and concrete under the direction of the TCEQ.

Ten years of planning and three years of construction have evolved into what we believe to be the finest, small business, fuel and oil bulk plant operation in Texas. Centered around the companies belief, that you can have an "environmental green" attitude, we basically put our money where our mouth is, to prove that a small business can do it right. Esthetically pleasing; extensive environmental improvements and additions; functional and operational in all aspects; we are most pleased with the final product and so is our community, employees and customers. Additional improvements to our site include the first direct-to-automobile commercial propane refueling site in Beaumont and Jefferson County to further help with air quality improvements.