How Approved Oil has evolved into a leading force in New York’s journey to cleaner, more sustainable energy
As one of the largest fuel oil distribution companies in the Tri-state area, Approved Oil (Approved) provides reliable, affordable, and increasingly sustainable energy solutions to a wide variety of customers, from large industrial clients to residential properties. Since its foundation in 1932, Approved has remained a multi-generational, family-owned business known for its exceptional service and commitment to customers.
We catch up with Vincent Theurer, President and CEO, around one year after our last conversation, to learn what’s been happening at Approved. “Since we last spoke, there has been an extremely cold, record-breaking winter in New York City, with substantial market hikes and unique challenges along with increased demand for oil,” Vincent begins. “However, our size, resources, and assets enabled us to continue to deliver for our customers despite market volatility. We’re incredibly proud of our teams and their performance during this period, from the drivers and customer service reps to service technicians and salespeople, as it was a collaborative effort to navigate the particularly cold winter.”
Serving all five New York City boroughs and lower Westchester County, Approved provides a range of fuel solutions, including renewables, for both residential and commercial services. “The prolonged cold winter accelerated wholesale fuel activity, strengthening market position and showcasing our ability to reliably support customers during peak demand periods,” Vincent says. “We’ve strengthened our wholesale business with the recent addition of Mike Cafiero, a 40-year industry veteran, as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Mike brings a wealth of experience to our wholesale division, which we’re aiming to expand beyond New York and New Jersey.”
Across all divisions, Approved is supported by a strong mechanical service group. “We’re fortunate to have one of the largest service teams in New York, with skilled technicians on the road 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Vincent states. “With one of the most responsive service operations in the industry, our team is committed to delivering fast, reliable support when customers need it most.
“Although our customers range from homeowners and small ‘mom and pop’ businesses to municipalities and government bodies, we pride ourselves on treating every customer the same. We’ve gained more commercial and industrial customers over the years, but we never forget our roots as a family business with a residential customer base. Our business was built on serving these customers, and we’ve extended our mentality, dedication, and commitment to service to larger clients.”
New York City
In terms of its portfolio, Approved is moving beyond traditional fuels in line with demand for renewables, and the company is currently supplying New York City public departments with renewable diesel. “This is one of the biggest renewable diesel contracts on the East Coast, and our size and capabilities make us an ideal partner, as we’re servicing over 11,000 heavy duty vehicles in New York City over a multi-year contract,” Vincent explains.
“Over the last ten years, New York City has seen increased demand for sustainable fuel alternatives, especially with clean air goals now in place,” he adds. “The city is taking a leadership role regarding renewables adoption; it banned the use of No.6 oil in buildings in 2012, and it has recently also banned No.4 oil, as well as implementing new biodiesel blends. We’ve gone from providing five percent bio blends, up to ten percent, and it’s going up again to a 20 percent blend in 2030.”
Chris Fazio, Executive Vice President, elaborates on the company’s approach to supporting sustainability and the energy transition: “I consider Approved a pioneering force in the renewable diesel sector, and we’re probably the largest supplier in the Northeast. As Vincent explained, our contract supplying New York City public departments sees us provide more than 17 million gallons of renewable diesel to these agencies per year. This contract alone is estimated to cut carbon emissions by around 60 percent.
“We’re introducing renewable diesel to the private sector, such as marine, other trucking companies, and even data centers, where the fuel would be used as backup generation,” Chris adds. “There’s plenty of discussion about replacing conventional heating oil with renewable alternatives in New York City, so we hope to see more clients using renewable diesel over the next 12-to-18 months. There’s potential to reduce the city’s overall emissions by up to 70 percent using renewable diesel, especially when the new mandatory 20-percent blend comes into force in 2030.”
Approved is clearly embracing sustainable alternatives to ensure it remains a reliable, trusted supplier across New York City for years to come. Thinking about the future, Vincent shares his longer-term outlook for the company. “For 2026, we’re looking to maintain the current volumes in our retail and wholesale divisions, and we’re exploring expansion on the wholesale side as we break into the data center and marine sectors,” he says. “We’re always finding ways to improve, whether it’s broadening our services to better serve our clients, improving quality control and the customer experience, or engaging in more installations and upgrades. Approved is currently offering plumbing, fire protection, generators, water and sewer, as well as high efficiency heat and domestic hot water equipment service and installation. We’re soon rolling out a new energy broker business, which will enable clients to manage their energy budget and provide greater visibility on their energy purchases.
“Further afield, we’ll grow our customer base within our core markets, but we’ll also continue to expand our geographic footprint and engage with new customers,” Vincent concludes. “Our energy broker business will also grow, and we hope to play more of an advisory and consultancy role in our customer partnerships moving forward to help them save money, increase efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. As we expand, we’ll introduce more advanced technologies and AI systems to streamline our processes and ensure they support our position as a reputable partner in the Tri-state area.”
