Steve Hightower got his start working in his family’s janitorial business. Decades later, he’s at the helm of one of the nation’s largest Black-owned fuel companies.
This month, the founder, president, and CEO of Hightowers Petroleum Company is joining the Black Information Network’s Leading While Black to share his journey and the lessons in leadership he learned along the way.
Hightower sits down with BIN News anchor Doug Davis to reflect on building his business and navigating an industry where few Black entrepreneurs have reached his level of success.
Hightower’s entrepreneurial roots stretch back to his childhood in Ohio, where his father started a janitorial company in 1957. Hightower began helping with the family business at a young age and was running his own truck crew by 16. By the time he graduated high school, he had negotiated his first commercial contract.
His path eventually led him to the fuel industry. Hightower founded Hightowers Petroleum Company in 1982 after securing a contract to deliver fuel to the state of Ohio.
The Middletown, Ohio-based company went on to become a major wholesale fuel supplier serving customers across several industries. Hightowers Petroleum has also expanded its focus to alternative energy, including renewable fuels, electric vehicle charging, and hydrogen infrastructure.
During his conversation with Davis, Hightower shares more about the experiences that shaped him as an entrepreneur and the leadership tools he developed while growing his company.
Leading While Black features monthly conversations between BIN journalists and Black leaders across business, entertainment, politics, social media, and more.
The latest episode of Leading While Black airs Sunday (September 6) at 10:30 a.m. ET on the Black Information Network, with a replay at 10:30 p.m. ET. The program can also be heard on BIN-affiliated stations and the iHeartRadio app.
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