Community Information

Detroit refinery hosts ENERGY STAR Industrial Showcase

July 10, 2024

Transport Driver Jake Walsh hosted a demonstration to showcase his truck and discuss safe operations, delivery optimization, fuel efficiency and emissions reduction in the transport organization.

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An MPC truck was set up for a demonstration at the event.

The Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) Detroit refinery earned the opportunity to host an ENERGY STAR® Industrial Showcase in August to celebrate its achievements in energy management practices recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Detroit city leaders and community advocates, Michigan State Representative Tyrone Carter, and EPA representative Betsy Dutrow attended the event. Dutrow serves as the Manager of ENERGY STAR Partnerships.

This refinery is performing within the top energy quartile nationally within its size class. That is a grand achievement.

“Our goal with ENERGY STAR is to help companies save money, but also protect the environment,” said Dutrow. “You are unique. Of 129 oil refineries in this country, only 18 have ever earned ENERGY STAR Certification. What it also means is that this refinery is performing within the top energy quartile nationally within its size class. That is a grand achievement.”

In 2022, MPC set a refining industry record when six of its refineries, including the Detroit refinery, received the ENERGY STAR certification. It was the Detroit refinery’s seventh time to achieve this recognition.

“The team at the Detroit refinery has done an outstanding job, and it is embedded in how they do work,” said Ruth Cade, MPC’s Refining Environmental Director. “Sustainability is embedded in their culture, and it is embedded in their practices. They are really living those values every day. This is a celebration for all of the hard work that they have done.”

A primary factor behind MPC’s energy efficiency for more than a decade has been its Focus on Energy program, which establishes key performance indicators to guide energy management across sites.

“At the Detroit refinery, we are proud of our efforts to conserve energy, reduce emissions and reclaim water, as well as our employees who make it happen,” said John Stefko, Detroit refinery General Manager. “It’s their ideas and innovations that keep us on the cutting edge. However, it is the relationships we have built with our local community members as a result of these efforts that make us feel very special.”

Detroit refinery’s Motor City Golf Classic benefits two local nonprofits

July 10, 2024

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The Detroit refinery hosted its 11^th annual Motor City Golf Classic to benefit Habitat for Humanity Detroit. There were 238 golfers and 53 business partners at the event that raised more than $200,000 for the organization’s two-year critical home repair program.

“The Motor City Classic at Detroit’s Rouge Park golf course was a great reminder of how committed our employees and business partners are to the local community surrounding MPC’s Detroit Refinery,” said John Stefko, General Manager of the Detroit refinery. “Their hard work and donations have provided Habitat for Humanity Detroit with $219,000 to provide critical repairs for at least 15 local family homes in 2023. I am proud to watch the Detroit refinery family move our community forward.”

In addition to the money raised for Habitat for Humanity, the 50/50 raffle provided a $2,200 donation to First Tee – Greater Detroit, which teaches local Detroit youth how to play golf and along with life and leadership skills.

Detroit youth explore real-world opportunities with Marathon Petroleum

July 10, 2024

A six-week program at Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit refinery is opening the eyes of students in two youth programs and may open the doors to future career opportunities.

Grow Detroit Young Talent (GDYT) and Detroit Youth Service Corps (DYSC) programs had a combined 64 participants at the refinery over the summer. The group was able to experience firsthand and even contribute to work at the facility. They also learned soft skills to apply to their future careers.

“This was definitely a great experience,” said Celeste Salazar, 22, studying Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State. “This was more hands on than some other companies offer.”

The refinery’s firefighters gave the participants a lesson in emergency response.

Students learned how to do maintenance on one of the refinery vehicles.

The participants spent the summer learning about the different departments at the refinery, covering refining 101, tech services, safety, maintenance, engineering and operations. Under supervision, they learned how to change the oil on the refinery vehicles, how to weld pipes, and how engineers plan out their projects. They learned the meaning of hazard symbols and how the fire department members are specifically trained to respond to different emergencies.

“We worked together as a group on a project converting 9,000 files into an archive system for easy searching,” said Javonte Jackson, 18, Grand Valley State University. “During the assignment, we found an easier way to complete the conversions. It was a real job that will help other employees at the refinery in the planning process.”

Operations Excellence Trainer Matt Johnson was impressed with the students from GDYT who took part in his operations overview session.

“They were very engaged and curious and willing to learn,” said Johnson. “They were impressed with the focus on safety that we have here at Marathon. They heard it in every session. I think it really changed their perspective about what we do here and how we do it.”

The participants also volunteered with refinery employees and contractors for two Neighbors Helping Neighbors home and lawn maintenance events hosted by the refinery. Some of the participants helped distribute healthy home kits and installed air filters for community members. They also received professional headshots to use on their LinkedIn profiles and sat for mock interviews with refinery leaders.

“It was my first time to go through an actual interview,” said Ashleigh Wright, 18, University of Michigan – Dearborn. “We got professional resume reviews. After the interview, I received great feedback that will really help me succeed.”

The participants said that even though their college majors didn’t all align with the departments at the refinery, they each learned something that they’ll keep with them forever.

“I’m studying psychology, a pre-med track,” said Jackson. “During Engineering Week, Kathy in Document Controls was dropping life knowledge on us. She was sharing how to handle actual situations in life. How to act in the workplace. It was meaningful on a personal level.”

Shift Foreman Bryan Cheney meets with one of the students during the mock interview and resume review session.

During the final week of the program, the Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan visited the students during a session at the Kemeny Recreation Center near the refinery. The students shared what they worked on during the summer and gave the mayor some ideas to continue making improvements in their neighborhoods and the city overall.

Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit visits with the participants at the Kemeny Recreation Center.

“The ideas were flowing,” said Corporate Social Responsibility Representative BreAnna Lockhart, who oversees the program at the refinery. “It was great to see them connect and really open up. These students have grown so much over the summer, and I look forward to seeing what they achieve after graduation.”

GDYT is a citywide summer jobs program in Detroit that trains and employs young adults ages 14-24, though participants at the refinery are age 18 and over. Wayne State University’s DYSC program also employs young adults ages 17-24 and provides them with opportunities to develop life and career skills and give back to the community. The Detroit refinery supports both initiatives through grants and its workforce development program.

“It makes me feel really good to know that we are helping invest in these young people who are from Detroit in a very real and impactful way,” said Johnson. “They truly appreciated the employees investing their time into their growth on a personal level, giving them life experiences and going out of their way to talk to them.”

MPC Detroit Refinery Sustainability Report

January 12, 2023

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Marathon Petroleum wraps successful Fueling Detroit Event Series

October 25, 2021

Marathon Petroleum is committed to supporting the community surrounding our Detroit refinery, specifically the people living in the 48217 zip code. From June to October, the refinery hosted the Fueling Detroit Event Series, four community events that included a family movie night, the Southwest Detroit Farmers Market, Back to School Blitz, and the Health and Harvest Fair. The events were held at the Kemeny Recreation Center and nearly 250 guests attended each one.

In October, organizations offered free immunizations for children, health screenings for adults, information about mental health services and overdose prevention. Attendees were able to join free workout classes held during the event. The Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) hosted mini tutorials for soccer, cheerleading and drone programming.

“This unique event series brings the community together in multiple ways. It’s supporting local businesses, providing family resources, health services, and education materials. And it’s a lot of fun to get together with our neighbors,” said BreAnna Lockhart, Community Relations Representative with Marathon Petroleum. “I’m really excited about what we have planned for next year.”

The Back to School Blitz in September featured free school supplies for everyone who attended and free food from local restaurants Two Fat Boys & a Grill and Motown Dawg Slingers. Kids enjoyed carnival rides, music, and special guest Smiley the Clown, a Detroit legend. The refinery’s community partners, Wayne Metro, Mark Twain Elementary and Starfish Family Services, were on hand to provide resources to parents.

The refinery is scheduling events for 2022, which will include a financial literacy lunch and learn with community partner Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (Wayne Metro), a non-profit organization serving low-and moderate-income residents throughout Wayne County.