The Story of Pasadena Tank Corporation
By Robert Block, Sr., Founder and President

It was a fuzzy vision in my eye, far enough away on the horizon to be impossible; but tantalizingly close to already being real. Looking out upon the deep expanse, I dreamed to dare to face the odds, to fight the norm. So without money and without support, but with boundless resolve and sheer determination, I set a course to build my own tank company. The men I left behind at the older larger public company all said that I couldn’t do it; heck, even my dad said I was crazy. But with an old beat up welding machine, a dirty air compressor, and my worn out pickup truck, I founded Ponce Tank Corporation in Puerto Rico in 1976.

However, as with all explorations, the storms of economic disaster loomed across the sky. So I looked westward to Houston, Texas; to a place where horizons have no limits. And in 1982, in the midst of a ferocious competitive environment and the deepest depression the oil industry has faced, I left the security of the harbor and formed Pasadena Tank Corporation. Once again, the world around me shouted out “There is no room for you here! You have no money and no equipment!” But I had my dream. I knew I could do it, I wanted to do it, and I did do it.

Though the way has often been cloudy, the ocean turbulent, our vessel has grown, from that old worn out Chevy, into a sprawling twenty acre facility with a 55,000 square foot fabrication plant, a 30,000 square foot paint facility, a 15,000 square foot training facility, and a crew of over 200 people.

• Though the market said we couldn’t, we knew we could to it, we wanted to do it, and we did.
• When they said we could not build the largest tank farm in the United States in the last twenty-five years we did it.
• When they said we could not build the largest tanks in the United States we did.

TODAY, we are looking for new ideas, new vision, and a new determination. We strive to be the best trained, best-equipped, most aggressive tank company in the business. What lies just beyond the next horizon? Conquer the nation? Conquer the world? Whatever it is we will be ready and eager to face the challenge.

Where does the company go from here? Who can we put in a position that can crew this ship? Or captain this ship? What challenges are there ahead that we can conquer with good planning, good organization, and dedicated people?

Because here at PTC, we have picked our course, we have set sails and we have faced the unknown...

After all, we know we can do it, we want to do it, and we will do it. Get onboard.