Ozinga Brothers unveiled the city’s first privately owned natural gas fueling station open to local businesses and government agencies and specifically designed for medium and heavy-use trucks and buses. The alternative-energy fueling station, located at Ozinga’s Pilsen headquarters and equipped with compressed natural gas (CNG) pumps, will serve the 84-year-old concrete maker’s fleet of iconic red-and-white concrete mixing trucks.

“I’m very pleased with the changes that Ozinga is making which will significantly reduce emissions, not only in the 25th Ward but throughout the city. The ability of more businesses and governments to go green is a major health benefit to our city,” said Alderman Danny Solís, whose ward includes Ozinga’s fueling station and Chicago headquarters.

According to industry estimates, about 112,000 CNG vehicles are currently on the road in the United States, and there are more than 13 million worldwide. But less than 1,500 CNG fueling stations exist in the U.S., according to U.S. Energy Administration figures.

Construction of CNG fueling stations has lagged behind those of charging stations for electric vehicles, which are less costly to construct. Ozinga is planning to construct and operate additional fueling stations in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.