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Clean fuel has a lasting effect on your equipment.
Blu Petroleum
21402 W. Hwy 60 Mundelein, IL 60060 (847) 566-5536 www.blupetroleum.com

by Meta Levin “I can do this,” Steve Poole told himself and in customers who continued to see the value,” he says. Blu Petroleum October 2011 he dove in, starting Blu Petroleum with just He also makes sure that he regularly visits his customers. www.blupetroleum.com himself and a silent partner. “It’s hugely important,” he says. Office: 847-566-5536 Steve Poole
At the time Blu Petroleum boasted one truck, one employ- When Poole and his silent partner, Dan Beelow, opened President/Owner ee and no customers. Poole got his first customers the old- Blu Petroleum, Poole made a commitment to give back to cer-Cell: 224-548-9108 fashioned way, he knocked on doors and made phone calls. Of tain organizations. To that end, he has donated to local food course, it helped that he had more than 20 years’ experience pantries, as well as his and Beelow’s churches and the Wee in the industry, working for the former Palatine Oil Co., so he One Foundation, which helps golf course management pronot only had knowledge, but also relationships with suppliers fessionals and their families who incur catastrophic medical and potential customers. “I had built these relationships and expenses without adequate insurance or financial resources. was able to continue to grow.” Poole also is looking for a way to contribute to something that
Today Blu Petroleum has 34 employees, 15 trucks and helps the landscape industry. more than 600 customers. As a member of ILCA, Poole is looking forward to becoming
The company offers all grades of gasoline, diesel, bio- more active. In the last few years, he spent so much time growdiesel, kerosene, ethanol and E85, as well as engine oil, anti- ing his business, that he felt he did not have the time, but now he freeze, gear lubricants, greases, hydraulic oil, industrial oil and does. “You only get out of it, what you put in it,” he says. transmission fluid. They also sell tank monitors, fuel control Poole’s wife, Karen, who has teaching and business expesystems and card lock systems. In addition, they offer bulk oil rience, became active in Blu Petroleum as it grew. “She is and sell and install above and under-ground tanks. the brains of the organization,” he says. “She is the glue that
While building up his business Poole operated on and still keeps everything together. adheres to the mantra: “This is a relationship business.” He Together, they are raising an active blended family. Their oldmeans that relative to his customers, his suppliers and, espe- est son plays triple A baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks. cially, his employees. “Without my employees, I wouldn’t be Next comes a 23-year-old, studying for his CPA and a 22-yearin business and we wouldn’t be where we are.” old who works in the commercial film and media field. The
Poole is proud of the fact that he tries to empower his employ- 20-year-old is studying to become an elementary school teacher ees. He tells them to ask themselves, “what would I do to make and the 19-year-old is at Iowa State University working to sure my customers are satisfied, if I owned the business?” become an aerospace engineer. Their youngest, a 17-year-old, is
To stand out, Poole believes, he must provide something still in high school, but wants to be an doctor. “We’ve allowed unique and better than his competition. “Gas is gas; fuel is the kids to find their own paths in life,” says Poole. fuel,” he says. “What makes us stand out is that we provide In following his own path, Poole recently started a new the best service.” Most of the clients are landscape contrac- division of Blu Petroleum, called Blu Events. It focuses on tors, golf courses and municipalities. serving large special events that need generators and the types
He also is flexible, making sure he and his staff can recog- of products that Blu Petroleum handles. To that end they nize and adapt to changes. During the economic downturn, he already have worked PGA tournaments and festivals, such as noted that a lot of businesses made decisions based on cost. This Riot Fest, Lollapalooza, the Chicago marathon, Naperville’s included his competitors, as well as his customers. He decided Rib Fest and other events. that they could not cut customer service. “We had a core group of “People have known and trusted us for a long time,” he says. 56 The Landscape Contractor October 2019