Name of business: Renu Oil of America, Inc.
Address: P.O. Box 93453, Las Vegas NV
Phone: 263-0078
Email: [email protected]
Website: gogreenwithrenuoil.com
Hours and days: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Owned by: Isabell Yssassi, operated by her family
In business since: Renu Oil was incorporated in 2001 and began operating in 2004. Its sister company began operating in 1998.
Describe the services you offer: We provide recycling programs for our partners. We offer dock and environmental management services, asset reclamation, oil filtration, yellow grease recovery, grease trap cleaning, brown grease recovery and waste consulting services.
Who are your customers? Hotels, casinos and restaurants.
What makes you unique? We’re family-owned and operated with most of our management team being Nevada natives. We have a great foundation and fundamental understanding of our service industry.
What’s the most important part of your job? As cliché as it sounds, knowing that our company is making a significant positive environmental impact on our community by diverting more than 5,000 tons of material from landfills each month.
What obstacles has your business overcome? On April 7, 2008, the sole operator of Renu Oil unexpectedly passed away. His two children, one a recently-licensed attorney and the other a gym owner, stepped in to help manage the business. While dealing with the grieving process, not only did they have to overcome the adversity they faced for being inexperienced in the recycling industry, they also had to deal with one of the worst commodity crashes in history. But all of the obstacles made them stronger business owners and, more important, made the family bond even stronger.
What did you learn from the recession? Always plan for the unexpected, remain positive and have faith.