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AUTONETWORK: Black Millionaire Steve Hightower Talks About His Drive to Create A Billion-Dollar Petroleum Business On SiriusXM’s ‘Auto Trends’

Hightowers Petroleum is one of the top 15 black-owned businesses in the nation, according to Black Enterprise and provides fuel to a number of Fortune 500 companies. Hightower’s business portfolio includes investments with a number of American and foreign automakers, where his company holds the exclusive gasoline account to fuel vehicles upon final build, at various assembly plants throughout the world.

Published

4 years ago

February 1, 2019

Oakland Post

ATLANTA, GEORGIA –To kick off Black History Month and our third anniversary on SiriusXM’s Auto Trends with JeffCars.com, we’re honored to have Steve Hightower, the CEO and president of Hightowers Petroleum, a privately-owned, Ohio-based company.

While we’ve had an opportunity to talk to a host of entrepreneurs and barrier breakers over the years, Hightower, whom we consider to be a ‘master teacher,’ has his eyes set on becoming a part of a super elite club, where individuals like Reginald F. Lewis paved the way in the eighties. Lewis, who died from brain cancer at the age of 50, was the first Black person to create a billion-dollar organization.

In an insightful two-part conversation, the entrepreneur shares how his background as a janitor in his parents’ business while in his teens, prepared him to create Hightowers Petroleum.

Hightowers Petroleum is one of the top 15 black-owned businesses in the nation, according to Black Enterprise and provides fuel to a number of Fortune 500 companies. Hightower’s business portfolio includes investments with a number of American and foreign automakers, where his company holds the exclusive gasoline account to fuel vehicles upon final build, at various assembly plants throughout the world.

Hightower credits Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the founder of Rainbow/PUSH, for helping several minority suppliers get a face-to-face meeting with foreign automakers as a result of an international trade trip the activist arranged several years ago. The trade mission enabled Hightowers Petroleum to win business with two Asian automakers.

The international businessman, who is also invested in a professional soccer team, shares his preference and blueprint for goal setting and strategic focus — as opposed to being a jack of all trades.

Like a skilled chess player, the gifted communicator reveals how he invited himself to the table in an extremely lucrative area of the petroleum industry that was previously not open to those who look like him. The savvy Ohio native is confident this strategy will drive revenue, supporting his quest to create a billion-dollar business.

During our in-depth conversation, Hightower shares his thoughts about college degrees and the role they have played with his children, while revealing the reason why he became a college dropout. Hightower also unveils what he believes will become the future alternative fuel source for vehicles, at a time when many automakers are expanding into the world of electrification.

Jeff Fortson, the host of Auto Trends with JeffCars.com says, “There’s nothing like sitting at the feet of someone whose everyday playground is a field that is foreign to most of us, one where there is no script, forcing him to carve out his own path.”

Tune in to the interview in two parts:

To hear part-one of Hightower’s conversation, tune in to “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com,” on Friday, February 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET on SiriusXM Channel 141. Encore broadcasts can be heard on Sunday, February 3 and Monday, February 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET and 1:30 p.m. ET, respectively.

To hear part-two of our conversation with Hightower, tune in to “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com,” on Friday, February 8 at 12:00 p.m. ET on SiriusXM Channel 141. Encore broadcasts can be heard on Sunday, February 10 and Monday, February11 at 12:00 p.m. ET and 1:30 p.m. ET, respectively.

Cruise over to SiriusXM.com to find out more about free trials and how to listen in your car or on your smartphone.

About Jeff Fortson

Jeff Fortson is the host and the executive producer of “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com,” a weekly multicultural automotive show that airs in both the United States and Canada. He also serves as the editor of JeffCars.com, an educational car-buying website with a new-vehicle pricing guide. Fortson, who has over 25 years of both automotive corporate and automotive retail experience, has penned several extensive car-buying guides for Black Enterprise, Ebony and Essence, three of the premier magazines in the Black community.

In April 2009, Essence recognized him as a “The Top Guru for Sound Car-Buying Advice.” His contributions and articles have also appeared in The Washington Post, Jet, Consumers Digest, BlackAmericaWeb.com, Eurweb.com and AOL.com. He has appeared as an automotive analyst on several broadcast networks, including CNN and NPR. Fortson empowers students through his signature traveling car-buying clinic and in-school modules that utilize STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) to help young people realize their dreams, while fostering literacy, empowerment, and education.

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How Mitsubishi Will Survive – AutoNetwork Reports 365 – Auto Talk Show

Auto Talk show How Mitsubishi Will Survive – Jeremy Barnes, Sr. Director, Communications, and Events will discuss Mitsubishi now, electrification, the future, and how Mitsubishi remains relevant. Latest Automotive News and Car Reviews AutoNetwork Reports. Our panel discusses news from Toyota, Nissan, Buick, MBUSA, Ford, and more. Weekly car reviews and automotive news of interest. […]
The post How Mitsubishi Will Survive – AutoNetwork Reports 365 – Auto Talk Show appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

7 months ago

July 9, 2022

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=1fpDYGl3tlQ&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0

Auto Talk show How Mitsubishi Will Survive – Jeremy Barnes, Sr. Director, Communications, and Events will discuss Mitsubishi now, electrification, the future, and how Mitsubishi remains relevant.

Latest Automotive News and Car Reviews AutoNetwork Reports. Our panel discusses news from Toyota, Nissan, Buick, MBUSA, Ford, and more. Weekly car reviews and automotive news of interest. We help you better understand and appreciate the auto industry. Find out why they would buy the vehicle or not. Join our panel of auto journalists influencers as we discuss this and simplify the latest auto industry news to help you appreciate the auto industry business. 365

The post How Mitsubishi Will Survive – AutoNetwork Reports 365 – Auto Talk Show appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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What Is The Best Selling Plug-In Hybrid? AutoNetwork Reports Podcast Auto Talk Show

Special Guest: Auto Talk show How Mitsubishi Will Survive – Jeremy Barnes, Sr. Director, Communications, and Events will discuss Mitsubishi now, electrification, the future, service business, how Mitsubishi remains relevant, and more. Weekly car reviews and automotive news of interest. We help you better understand and appreciate the auto industry. Our panel of influential auto […]
The post What Is The Best Selling Plug-In Hybrid? AutoNetwork Reports Podcast Auto Talk Show appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

7 months ago

July 9, 2022

admin

Weekly car reviews and automotive news of interest. We help you better understand and appreciate the auto industry. Our panel of influential auto industry journalists reviews cars discusses the latest EV news, and recent recalls conducts interviews, and much more each Thursday. Find out why they would buy the vehicle or not.

Join our panel of auto influencers as we discuss this and simplify the latest auto industry news to help you appreciate the auto industry business.

Show Panelists: Frank Washington – AboutThatCar.com

Greg Morrison – www.bumper2bumpertv.com

Chris Lawrence – Autoacademics.com

David Boldt – TxGarage.com

Valerie Menard – LatinoTrafficReports.com

The auto talk show, #AutoNetwork Reports, is Live on YouTube weekly Thursday from 3:00 pm ET – 3:30 pm ET. where auto influencers discuss the week’s latest automotive news.

Go visit http://autonetwork.com for more shows.

Find out why they would buy the vehicle or not. Join our panel of auto journalists influencers as we discuss this and simplify the latest auto industry news to help you appreciate the auto industry business.

When available we let you know of any vehicle recalls and how to resolve them. Some of the auto influencers have sold cars so we provide car buying and auto leasing tips to save you time and money on your next car purchase.

AutoNetwork Reports simplify the latest auto industry news for you to help you appreciate the automotive industry.

{Introducing our new car buying program, https://www.CouponsOffersAndDeals.com/, for money and time-saving specials from select car dealers.}

Like us and share, https://www.facebook.com/autonetwork, on Facebook. #AutoNetwork #AutoNetworkReports

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/liveautos **

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/autonetwork

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2020 Census Called ‘Worse Undercount’ in Decades as Bureau Misses Millions of Blacks and Hispanics

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The bureau estimated that the 2020 census incorrectly counted 18.8 million residents, double-counting some, wrongly including others, and missing others entirely, even as it came extremely close to reaching an accurate count of the overall population.
The post 2020 Census Called ‘Worse Undercount’ in Decades as Bureau Misses Millions of Blacks and Hispanics first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

11 months ago

March 13, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

According to many experts, the COVID-19 pandemic and an administration that displayed a complete disregard for ensuring accuracy led to a consequential undercount in the number of Black, Hispanic, and Native American residents during the 2020 U.S. Census.

Further, Census officials admit that they overcounted white and Asian residents.

The bureau reported the overall population as 323.2 million.

“The undercounting of Black, Latino, Indigenous and other communities of color rob us of the opportunity to be the directors of our fate, reducing our representation and limiting our power while depriving policymakers of the information they need to make informed decisions about where the next hospital will be built or where the next school should be located,” said Damon Hewitt, the president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

“In addition, the undercount exacerbates underfunding of our communities because Census data is used as the basis for hundreds of billions of dollars of federal, state, and local appropriations each year,” Hewitt said.

The Census population count determines how many representatives each state has in Congress for the next decade.

It also decides how much federal funding communities receive for roads, schools, housing, and social programs. Hundreds of billions of dollars are at stake each time the census occurs.

Robert L. Santos, the bureau’s director, displayed little regard for the undercount of minorities. He said the 2020 results were consistent with recent censuses.

“This is notable, given the unprecedented challenges of 2020,” Santos said in a statement. “But the results also include some limitations — the 2020 census undercounted many of the same population groups we have historically undercounted, and it overcounted others.”

“We remain proud of the job we accomplished in the face of immense challenges,” Mr. Santos said. “And we are ready to work with the stakeholders and the public to leverage this enormously valuable resource fully.”

Terri Ann Lowenthal, a leading expert on the census and consultant to governments and others with a stake in the count, told the New York Times that the results were “troubling but not entirely surprising.”

“Overall, the results are less accurate than in 2010,” she said.

The bureau estimated that the 2020 census incorrectly counted 18.8 million residents, double-counting some, wrongly including others, and missing others entirely, even as it came extremely close to reaching an accurate count of the overall population.

The Times reported that the “estimates released on Thursday — in essence, a statistical adjustment of totals made public last year — are based on an examination of federal records and an extensive survey in which the bureau interviewed residents in some 10,000 census blocks — the smallest unit used in census tabulations. Bureau experts then compared their answers to the actual census results for those blocks.”

Officials claimed that the survey enabled the bureau to estimate how many residents it missed entirely in the 2020 count, how many people were counted twice, and how many people — such as deceased persons or short-term visitors to the United States — were counted mistakenly.

Officials began the count after the pandemic shut down operations in April 2020. After other starts and stops, the Trump administration pressured census takers by inexplicably moving up the deadline to finish the count.

Trump also attempted to add a citizenship question to the census, further muddying attempts at an accurate count.

Many experts complained that more time was required and called the count unreliable. Some called on then-incoming President Joe Biden to order a recount.

“This is the worse census undercount I’ve seen in my 30 years working on census issues,” Arturo Vargas, CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials Education Fund, said during a news conference.

“I can’t even find the right word. I’m just upset about the extent of the undercount that has been confirmed by the post-enumeration survey,” Vargas said.

“This is a major step backward on this.”

The post 2020 Census Called ‘Worse Undercount’ in Decades as Bureau Misses Millions of Blacks and Hispanics first appeared on BlackPressUSA.