COLUMBUS — Cenovus Energy will now have a presence on the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors thanks to a sizeable membership investment, according to a release from the chamber.
The amount of the investment was not included in the release, but the amount for Cenovus’ Chamber Champion membership is the highest in the chamber’s 130-year history and places the Canadian energy company at the platinum level, the highest available, which “immediately places Cenovus on the Ohio Chamber’s Board of Directors with additional eligibility to serve on the Chamber’s Executive Committee, Research Foundation Board and Political Action Committee (PAC) Board,” according to the release.
With Cenovus having a presence in Ohio in its Lima and Toledo refineries, the company is an integral part of Ohio’s energy sector with a strong connection to Ohio’s history, according to Ohio Chamber president and CEO Steve Stivers.
“At 137 years old, Cenovus’s facility in Lima is the oldest continually operating refinery in the United States, having been founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1886,” Stivers said in a statement. “As the Chamber celebrates our own 130-year anniversary and as Ohio leads the way with our nation’s domestic energy production, it’s especially meaningful to unite our two legacy organizations. Cenovus is a trusted partner who we will look to for guidance on policy and advocacy.”
Cenovus senior leadership expressed excitement about deepening its roots in Ohio. According to Claudio Ingaramo, interim senior vice president of U.S. downstream operations for Cenovus, hopes are high that the company will expand its operation in Ohio.
“We are excited for our future in Ohio,” Ingaramo said in a statement. “Working together with the Chamber’s professional staff and fellow members, we will work to ensure Ohio remains open for business. Cenovus wants to grow our operations in Ohio and attract talent to the Buckeye State, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce will be a meaningful partner in this journey.”
In the wake of this announcement, the Ohio Chamber voiced opposition to Ohio House Bill 205, which was voted through in the House and is now being considered in the Ohio Senate. Proponents of the bill say that the bill is meant to provide a minimum safety standard for construction projects at Ohio oil refineries, including requiring an apprenticeship credential, completion of a 30-hour safety and health hazard course and general proficiency in English for the contractors.
“Setting these training standards is a critical piece of protecting the health and safety of both Ohio workers and the public,” Ohio Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, said after the bill’s passage, according to a publication by the Ohio House of Representatives newsroom. “It is also critical that the construction work completed at our refineries be completed proficiently so that the refineries avoid shutdowns due to workplace incidents.”
In opposing the bill, the Ohio Chamber maintains that it is an example of government overreach, with the government issuing mandates to oil companies rather than letting them make their own selections as to who the best and safest contractor would be for refinery construction projects.
“Some state lawmakers are pushing an appalling precedent of government inserting itself into the hiring practices of private businesses, dictating not just whom they must employ but also the ratios of employees among that company’s staff,” Stivers said in a statement. “We continue to defend Cenovus and our other refinery partners against stifling governmental intrusion into their essential operations.”
