Benefuel was incorporated in December 2006 bringing together two complimentary groups of entrepreneurs: the team from Gripp Industries, Rob Tripp and Jim Graham, who launched a biodiesel company based on a keen understanding of the fuel needs of the transportation industry gained through owning their own manufacturing and distribution companies; the team from New Century Lubricants – Bill Summers with expertise in chemical engineering and business and a highly experienced team of process engineers from Unitel Technologies, Ravi Randhava and Serge Randhava. Collectively they have been developing innovative petroleum and chemical engineering solutions for the past 30 years.

Gripp Industries was responsible for the installation of a biodiesel refinery for a trucking and timber harvesting company in Arkansas. The fleet owners sought control over supply and pricing and set out to produce their own fuel - an industry first. During this process Gripp sought to improve on the state of the art to be better able to deploy refineries directly to companies sharing the same goal. Gripp set out to create a platform that could be reproduced for any trucking company. During this period they realized that the existing technology could not fully support this vision. Further research led Gripp to New Century Lubricants and their solid catalyst technology.

New Century had acquired the most mature, biodiesel refining technology on the market. Their team of science and engineers also has the depth of knowledge and experience to successfully complete the commercialization plans for a new micro-refinery model which had been jointly conceived and developed by both companies.

After several months of working together, the players decided to formally merge. Together, as Benefuel the teams are building the world’s most advanced, modular biodiesel production platform, capable of refining biodiesel in a manner that is much more sustainable and economic and opens the door to create a whole new way of producing and distributing fuel.