Lion Oil
Lion Oil Company was established in 1922. Thomas Harry Barton was instrumental in the development of the company.
In 1955, Lion Oil was sold to the Monsanto Company along with what is now El Dorado Chemical Company. Lion Oil is the only oil refinery Monsanto has owned. Lion Oil was later sold by Monsanto to Tosco.
In 1985, Lion was struggling and on the verge of shutting down and was sold by Tosco to a partnership of Ergon Refining of Jackson, Mississippi, and a group of local investors. This is how it acquired the oil refinery in El Dorado, Arkansas.
In March 2011, Delek US Holdings, Inc. of Brentwood, Tennessee acquired Ergon’s 53.7% majority equity interest; total equity ownership by Delek increased to 88.3%; on April 29, 2011 Delek US became the new operator of Lion Oil.
In October 2011, Delek US Holdings, Inc. acquired the remaining 11.7% interest to increase its equity interest in Lion Oil to 100%.
Lion Oil continues as a petroleum supplier with its headquarters in Brentwood.
