Operations Philosophy

As a private company, Colonial Pipeline doesn’t have the public shareholders that many companies do. To be sure, the five companies that own Colonial provide clear direction on what they expect from those of us fortunate enough to work here. One mandate we have is to pay close attention to our stakeholders – those who have a stake in how Colonial does its job.

• The U.S. government and state officials where Colonial is located are one stakeholder. They represent the public’s interest and ensure we follow not only the letter, but the spirit of laws and regulations meant to ensure our safety and protect the environment we both share.

• Our customers are another stakeholder -- from the refineries on one end of the pipe to the individual marketers that ultimately make available to you the gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil and other products delivered by Colonial. Listening to our customers helps ensure the fuels you need are delivered safely, efficiently and reliably.

But I want to highlight another stakeholder that we regard as so important to us, and that is the communities where we live and work. We constantly have reasons to celebrate the towns and landowners who live along the pipeline. Recently, one special community brought this relationship into clear focus.

When lightning struck a tank of gasoline in Greensboro, N.C., on June 13, the emergency response was quick and effective. Disaster was averted not by luck, but because the greater Greensboro community “gets it.” They support their firefighters, police, EMTs and others who fly into action when “9-1-1” is dialed. They help provide the kind of training that ensures people know what to do when the unthinkable occurs.

So thank you Greensboro. Thank you from Houston, Texas to Linden, New Jersey, and at every point along the way where good people are committed to living together, safely and in support of each other.

Tim Felt
President and CEO
Colonial Pipeline
June 30, 2010