10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 80s 90s 1910 Where it all began... Louis Blaustein and his 18 year old son Jacob founded the American Oil Company in June of 1910. What began with just one horse and a 270-gallon tank wagon later developed into one of America's largest and most innovative oil companies. 1912 The Early Days Click to hear Jacob Blaustein talk about the early days of Atapco. This picture, taken in 1912, shows father and son at American Oil's first office, a one-room converted warehouse and stable located on a B&O Railroad yard in South Baltimore. The two men, along with their horse Prince and the wagon driver, began their days at 5:30 in the morning, making the rounds at neighborhood stores to beat out the competition and secure kerosene orders. 1915 Innovation in Gasoline In 1915, Jacob and Louis Blaustein, along with a collaborating chemist, invented the first benzol-gasoline mixture, producing the world's first "original, special anti-knock motor fuel" that enabled the development of the high-compression engine. Other innovations credited to the Blausteins include: the first oil tank wagon, the first drive-in gas station, and the first gasoline pump with a calibrated gas bowl so motorists could see how much gas they were really getting. 1925 Lord Baltimore Filling Stations, A Force to be Reckoned With By the mid-1920's, The American Oil Company's gas stations on the Atlantic Seaboard (originally known as Lord Baltimore Filling Stations) were helping them to become a major competitor in the industry. 1927 Amoco Helps Make History Amoco gas fueled Charles Lindbergh's landmark transatlantic flight, which was the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris. Standard Oil was originally scheduled to provide Lindbergh with the oil, but ran into problems and phoned Jacob Blaustein in April, 1927, requesting an emergency shipment. See the original telegram and Bill of Lading for the drums of gasoline used on Lindbergh's 3,610 mile hop to Paris. 1930 Orange American Gas In 1930, Amoco launched a huge campaign promoting "Orange American Gas", their newly developed regular motor fuel that was dyed orange to protect their customers from the regular being substituted for the premium. Amoco was the first in the industry to do this. 1931 American Trading Corporation Formed American Trading and Production Corporation (Atapco) was formed on June 23, 1931 (originally under the name "American Trading Corporation" from 1931-1936) to consolidate, expand and diversify the Blaustein family's business activities. Over the years, Atapco expanded into various sectors of business, including the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, commercial real estate development and operation, the manufacturing of communication equipment and sound accessories, office products, advanced security systems and metal stampings, and a controlling interest in Crown Central Petroleum Corporation. 1936 Growth and Progress By 1936, American Oil's daily sales of gasoline jumped from 500 gallons of gasoline per day to 5 million. 1944 Oil & Gas Division In 1944, Atapco established an Oil and Gas Division to expand the company's business into the realm of crude oil and natural gas exploration and production. The division (headquartered out of Houston, Texas) conducted exploratory operations, acquired undeveloped oil and gas well leases and managed producing wells in the United States and Western Canada. 1945 Jacob Blaustein, Businessman and Diplomat In addition to being a leading figure in industrial and commercial enterprises, Jacob Blaustein was also a humanitarian, philanthropist and an accomplished diplomat. In fact, in 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Blaustein to attend the formative meetings of the United Nations, where he played an important role in placing the human rights provisions into the UN Charter. Jacob Blaustein also served as an advisor to a number of additional US Presidents, including Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson. Jacob Blaustein was passionate about human rights and civic service. He said that "Commercial success is not a be-all and end-all in itself. In addition, a man should be helpful to his community." This philosophy remains one of Atapco's core values today. 1954 Standard Oil Merger American Oil merged with Standard Oil of Indiana in 1954. The Blaustein family became major stockholders in Standard Oil of Indiana, which eventually changed its name in 1985 to Amoco Corporation. 1957 Diversification Continues In 1957, Atapco continued to diversify into fields of activity not associated with the petroleum industry, primarily focusing on real estate and manufacturing. Keeping with this new strategy, Atapco acquired its first manufacturing company in 1961 with the purchase of Atlas Sound Corporation, a world leader in the manufacture of high-quality microphone stands, loud speakers and sound system components. 1961 Blaustein Building Atapco Enters the Real Estate Industry Jacob Blaustein played an important role in downtown Baltimore's revival. After a selection committee rejected his proposal for a skyscraper at One Charles Center in favor of a Mies van der Rohe-designed tower, Blaustein bought the Hub Department Store across the street in 1961 and demolished the building to make way for his own building, a 30-story structure that is one story taller than One Charles Center. The Blaustein Building, which was dedicated in 1964, served as Atapco's company headquarters until 2001 and was one of the key elements that sparked Baltimore's downtown renaissance in the early 1960's. 1968 Forbes Magazine Cover Jacob Blaustein was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine on September 15, 1968. The article described Jacob Blaustein's contributions to the oil industry, international diplomacy and philanthropy. 1980 Atapco Continues to Acquire Real Estate Atapco, under the name "American Trading Real Estate Properties, Inc.," continued to acquire properties from 1961 until the reorganization of the company in 1998. The company's portfolio was diverse, ranging from warehouses, parking garages and apartment complexes to hotels, office buildings and office parks. The property locations were diverse as well, including such areas as: Los Angeles, CA • Ocala, FL • Rockville, MD • Orangeburg, NY • Christiana, DE • Baltimore, MD • Chantilly, VA • Dallas, TX • Nashville, TN • Carmel, IN • Charlotte, NC 1999 to Now Atapco Properties Quality Real Estate Developers At the end of 1998, the company split into three separate and unrelated companies. All the manufacturing businesses were sold and the remaining assets were split among the three companies. Atapco today represents the interests of the Hirschhorn and Roswell branches of the descendants of Louis Blaustein. At present, Atapco’s active business interest is the acquisition, development and operation of high-quality real estate properties. Atapco’s rich history, solid foundation and dedication to excellence provides the basis for continued success for years to come.