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Our Value Statement
At Tank Utility, we value and pursue diverse experiences and cultures in our teammates, customers and partners. We foster an environment where we value our teammates and provide opportunities to succeed. We commit to challenging and being challenged, pushing ourselves and our industry beyond our comfort level and being held accountable for our actions.
Speaking up, Taking Action
Why are we focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Tank Utility? Aren’t we “too small” to have an impact? Isn’t it hard to build a diverse workforce in the energy / tech / oil and gas [other largely homogenous industry]? Shouldn’t we just “shut up and build a company”?
We are doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (MLK). Because if you are human, you have a platform to influence others, and there is no platform too small. There are no priorities that can usurp the right to an equal shot at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Also thankfully, in the end, good business is good for business. Just as our work to optimize fuel delivery is good for our supplier’s bottom line it also achieves our GHG reduction goals. Focusing on diversity and inclusion ensures we are a part of the solution to creating a just world where people of all backgrounds can thrive and a business respecting and embracing diverse views will bring the best ideas and solutions to bear for our customers.
But enough talk – what are we doing?
First, we’re reflecting and reading – because we can’t start developing solutions until we understand the history of systemic underrepresentation and oppression in our communities – here is what we are reading:
- We are not here to be bystanders, Linda Sarsour
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, Mahzarin R. Banaji
- Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Gender: Your Guide, Lee Airton
Second, we’ve developed several teams at Tank to ensure we’re living our values. The following teams have got us going in the right direction already:
Internal Tank Utility Impact Team
This Tank Utility team is focused on fostering inclusion and equity internal to Tank Utility. We will work on projects to ensure we support diverse employees at Tank and help current employees feel valued and respected. This team has already surveyed our team and benchmarked Tank Utility against our industry peers and will ensure our hiring and career development paths are in line with our values.
Industry Impact
This Tank Utility team ensures that there is a legitimate impact on diversity concerns among the tech and propane industries. This will be a continuous effort among Tank Utility employees as we represent the Tank mission at various conferences, customer meetings, and ongoing partnerships. Actions we are taking now are donating to and speaking at WIP (Women in Propane) and seeking other opportunities to represent our mission at conferences/trade shows and hosting conversations with customers.
Community and Local Impact
This Tank Utility team thinks global but acts local! We get involved within our communities, as a company but also as individuals. We will work to seek opportunities to learn about how to make a difference, educate our employees and encourage involvement from all. So far we’ve initiated June 19th, Juneteenth, as a company holiday where we honor and act in our communities against racial injustice. We’ll seek to continue along those lines of encouraging Volunteerism, Lunch and Learns, and other events to impact our communities.
Using Our Platform
The purpose here is to recognize the privilege that we have and use our platform to amplify the voices of those who may not have a platform. We’ll share both internally and externally to build awareness about how to incorporate Diversity and Inclusion within our industry. This blog is the first of many examples of where this team moves the needle.
Our journey to build an inclusive organization is never done and we’re grateful for those who are helping us move forward with this work – the Tank Utility employees, our customers, our partners, our board, and community for your feedback and support as we continue on our journey.