Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Business Journal and Other Publications Q1 2016 Business Journal | Page 28

Caption for image provided: The refinery’s new BELCO scrubber at
sunset (Courtesy Sherry Birch).

Evolving Toward Safe

PRODUCTION
SHERRY BIRCH

MIKE ACHACOSO, VP HOLLYFRONTIER CORPORATION,
CHEYENNE REFINERY MANAGER

All eyes are on the energy industry right now, especially in Wyoming. People are watching to see what decisions are made about
who we want to be as an industry and how we move forward into
the future. We’re at a turning point. Will it be business as usual—or
will we choose to evolve?
At HollyFrontier, we believe our future lies in safe production—
where safety, production, and environmentally responsible operations co-exist.

28 | Quarter 1 M 2016

We operate in a highly visible space—next to schools, homes, and
other businesses—which increases public scrutiny and raises expectations higher than other industrial facilities in Wyoming. We’ve
chosen to embrace our unique position, because it allows us to
connect personally with the community that makes our business
possible.
When I first arrived in Cheyenne in early 2014, I asked long-term
residents their opinion of our refinery. I was surprised at the concerns about the past environmental and safety performance of the
facility. Wyomingites have a long memory—for both the good and
the bad.