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From corner store to national refinery America's "corner store" is looking to set up shop in more neighborhoods throughout the Southwest and in Canada. In 1996, Diamond Shamrock, the multi-million dollar oil refinery and convenience store chain owner merged with Ultramar Corp. Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, the new company, become North America's second-leading oil refiner, operating seven refineries with a total capacity of 650,000 barrels a day. A history of mergers In 1910, T.R. Evans and a group of Pittsburgh businessmen formed the Diamond Alkali Company to manufacture chemicals for the glass industry. When World War II hit, the company met the demand for artillery and made magnesium oxide for bombs. The first of the company's mergers was in 1967, when Diamond Alkali merged with Shamrock Oil & Gas and became Diamond Shamrock, expanding its business in the 1970s. In 1983 it merged with Natomas Company in a $1.2 billion stock swap. At that point, Diamond Shamrock gained access to gas and oil wells in Canada, Indonesia, and the North Sea. In the 1990s the firm began adding refineries, expanding pipelines, and increasing retail gasoline outlets in the Southwest. Spreading like an oil spill In 1998, the company embarked on an ambitious acquisition campaign. In January, it announced a joint refining and marketing venture with Petro-Canada. The deal is expected to save the companies $456 million. In October 1998, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock announced a $800 merger with Phillips Petroleum to form North America's largest petroleum refining, marketing, and transportation company. Along with the company's consolidation came a streamlining of its operations, which was expected to reduce costs by an estimated $30 million in the first year. But by the end of 1998, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock actually suffered a loss, which the company attributed to falling industry prices. The corporation announced in July 2000 that it would buy chief competitor Tosco Corp.'s Avon refinery for up to $800 million. Selling the gas it produces is critical to Ultramar Diamond Shamrock's success. The company owns 6,300 gas stations, including approximately 2,700 outlets which operate under the Diamond Shamrock logo. UDS recently tried to add 360 California Mobil and Exxon stations to its treasure chest, but was beaten out by rival Valero Energy Corp. The company also runs petrochemical, home heating oil, and natural gas production facilities.
The Ultramar Diamond Shamrock web site at www.diasham.com lists employment opportunities. It also explains how to apply for particular positions under the "Employment" directory. Entry level positions are generally in customer service; fortunately, the company often promotes from within.
Although "just about everyone at the corporate level" started out as "CSRs-?customer service representatives," advancements "up through the higher ranks" come "quickly to those who stick it out." At first, pay is "above minimum wage," but with "every degree of advancement" it increases. Moreover, the benefits "become more suited to corporate status." The company offers "ample travel and relocation opportunities" throughout the Southwest and in Canada, which means that "the job grows with you and your life's changes." Ultramar Diamond Shamrock "is as ethnically diverse as one could imagine," and one of the companies highest-ranking officers is a Hispanic woman. The corporate culture is "varied and social," and hours at the corporate level are a "steady nine to five." The dress is "businesslike."
Human Resources
Marketing;Refining;Supply;Natural gas and petrochemical storage and distribution;Propane/propylene production
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