A LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRMAN - "What's in a Name?"
I'm often asked about the origin of the name Roxanna. There's a story behind it that will shed a little light on what the company has become over the past twenty years.
Roxanna was the name of the Persian princess who was wedded to Alexander the Great to seal the peace between the Greeks and the Persians.
When Royal Dutch Shell entered the U.S. in the 20's, the Shell manager (apparently a classics scholar) selected the name Roxanna Oil for the new U.S. company because of its allusions to bridging differing cultures.
When I retired from Shell in '87 and wanted a name for my new company, I found that Shell had not copyrighted the name or used it in thirty years. I asked their permission to use the name (after I copyrighted it) and they reluctantly agreed. We are now twenty years old and remain a closely held family company with no debt. |