Vertex Energy, Inc. engages in the recycle of industrial waste streams and off-specification commercial chemical products. The firm focuses on the recycle of used motor oil and other petroleum by-products. It operates through the following segments: Black Oil, Refining and Marketing and Recovery. The Black Oil segment collects and purchases used motor oil from third-party generators, established network of local and regional collectors and sells used motor oil to customers for use as a feedstock or replacement fuel for industrial burners. The Refining and Marketing segment manages the re-refinement of used motor oil and other petroleum by-products and sells the re-refined products to end customers. The Recovery segment includes a generator solutions company for the proper recovery and management of hydrocarbon streams as well as metals. The company was founded by Benjamin P. Cowart in 2001 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.