Iowa Fuel Marketers Recognized for Renewable Fuels Efforts

DES MOINES, Iowa — Elliott Oil Co. and Diamond Oil Co. brought home awards for their commitment to renewable fuels during the FUELIowa Annual Meeting.

"Renewable fuels are good for everyone — consumers at the pump, farmers, rural Iowa communities and the environment," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. "I am proud to recognize Elliott Oil Company and Diamond Oil Company for their continued commitment and innovative efforts to grow this important market for Iowa's economy."

Naig presented the 2020 Renewable Fuels Marketing Awards to the Iowa companies on Jan. 14.

Ottumwa-based Elliott Oil received the 2020 Secretary's Ethanol Marketing Award. The company, which was founded in 1961, operates its retail motor fuel locations under the BP brand and has five locations offering E85.

In recent years, Elliott Oil has participated in the Iowa Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program and increased private investments into its retail locations to accommodate the sale of high blend ethanol products.

Over the past year, the company promoted the growing interest and demand for E15 in Iowa to BP brand representatives. Through its efforts, Elliott Oil has reached an agreement with BP to allow the sale of E15 under the BP-brand canopy at its location in Osceola.

Des Moines-based Diamond Oil recieved the 2020 Secretary's Biodiesel Marketing Award. The company supplies and markets biodiesel through traditional brick and mortar retail outlets, and its biodiesel footprints extend into high-volume end-users in the agriculture, residential, industrial, racing and transportation arenas.

As its education and marketing efforts have expanded its biodiesel sales, Diamond Oil has participated in the Iowa Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program to complement its significant private investments. The company, which was founded in 1978, expanded its infrastructure to support the growing demand for biodiesel by installing terminals in Des Moines and State Center. 

The Secretary's Ethanol and Biodiesel Marketing Awards were created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to recognize fuel marketers that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of and generate demand for renewable fuels.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program offers cost-share grants to help fuel retailers install E85 dispensers, blender pumps, biodiesel dispensers and biodiesel storage facilities. To date, the program has distributed or obligated more than $33 million with $200 million added in private economic activity. The grant program is managed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.