Private company

Vertex Energy Inc.

Vertex Energy Inc. is an American petroleum refining company based in Houston, incorporated in Nevada.2

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

  • IndustryPetroleum Refining2
  • HeadquartersHouston, United States2
  • Incorporated inNV3
  • Business address1331 Gemini Street, Suite 250, Houston, Tx 770583
  • Filer categoryAccelerated filer3
  • Legal formProfit Corporation2
  • LEI549300TTMSREGCR7D5852
  • StatusActive2
  • LEI statusIssued and current2
  • Registered address1331 Gemini Street, Suite 250, 77058 Houston, United States2
  • Registered withBusiness Center (Secretary of State), E0313572008-72

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We were formed as a Nevada corporation on May 14, 2008. Pursuant to an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger dated May 19, 2008, by and between Vertex Holdings, L.P. (formerly Vertex Energy, L.P.), a Texas limited partnership (“ Holdings ”), us, World Waste Technologies, Inc., a California corporation (“ WWT ” or “ World Waste ”), Vertex Merger Sub, LLC, a California limited liability company and our wholly-owned subsidiary (“ Merger Subsidiary ”), and Benjamin P. Cowart, our Chief Executive Officer, as agent for our shareholders (as amended from time to time, the “ Merger Agreement ”), effective on April 16, 2009, World Waste merged with and into Merger Subsidiary, with Merger Subsidiary continuing as the surviving corporation and becoming our wholly-owned subsidiary (the “ Merger ”). In connection with the Merger, (i) each outstanding share of World Waste common stock was c…4 From its latest annual report

Financials

From the company’s reports to the SEC. Every number links to the filing it came from.

Key numbers, fiscal 2023

4.5%Gross margin5
-0.9%Operating margin5
-2.2%Net margin5
13.8%Revenue growth, 20235
-36.4%Return on equity5
0.87×Debt to equity5

Where the money goes

Where each dollar of revenue went, fiscal 2023

  • Selling, general and admin5¢$168.6M
  • Other costs91¢$2.9B
  • Interest4¢$119.6M
  • Income tax0¢$13.4M

Out of $3.2B in revenue.5 The company lost money this year.

Financial statements

Revenue67895$3.2B in 2023+2084% since 2017
0$1.0B$2.0B$3.0B$4.0B2017: $145.5M$145.5M20172018: $180.7M$180.7M2018+24%2019: $18.4M$18.4M2019−90%2020: $103.8M$103.8M2020+465%2021: $207.8M$207.8M2021+100%2022: $2.8B$2.8B2022+1244%2023: $3.2B$3.2B2023+14%
Gross profit67895$144.2M in 2023+578% since 2017
0$50.0M$100.0M$150.0M$200.0M2017: $21.3M$21.3M20172018: $29.4M$29.4M2018+38%2019: $944.3K$944.3K2019−97%2020: $8.5M$8.5M2020+801%2021: $24.9M$24.9M2021+193%2022: $180.0M$180.0M2022+622%2023: $144.2M$144.2M2023−20%
Operating income67895-$28.6M in 2023+305% since 2017
-$40.0M-$20.0M0$20.0M$40.0M$60.0M2017: -$7.1M-$7.1M20172018: $488.3K$488.3K20182019: -$5.7M-$5.7M20192020: -$13.5M-$13.5M2020+136%2021: -$9.5M-$9.5M2021−30%2022: $48.6M$48.6M20222023: -$28.6M-$28.6M2023
Net income67895-$71.5M in 2023+748% since 2017
-$80.0M-$60.0M-$40.0M-$20.0M02017: -$8.4M-$8.4M20172018: -$2.2M-$2.2M2018−74%2019: -$5.0M-$5.0M2019+128%2020: -$12.0M-$12.0M2020+138%2021: -$18.4M-$18.4M2021+53%2022: -$4.8M-$4.8M2022−74%2023: -$71.5M-$71.5M2023+1382%
Fiscal year2017201820192020202120222023
Revenue$145.5M6$180.7M7$18.4M8$103.8M9$207.8M5$2.8B5$3.2B5
Cost of revenue$124.2M6$151.3M7$134.8M7
Gross profit$21.3M6$29.4M7$944.3K8$8.5M9$24.9M5$180.0M5$144.2M5
Selling, general and admin$21.7M6$21.9M7$6.7M8$20.4M9$30.6M5$127.8M5$168.6M5
Operating expenses$34.4M5$131.5M5$172.8M5
Operating income-$7.1M6$488.3K7-$5.7M8-$13.5M9-$9.5M5$48.6M5-$28.6M5
Interest$3.5M6$3.3M7$541.2K8$980.0K9$3.8M5$79.9M5$119.6M5
Income before tax-$24.8M5-$23.8M5-$139.6M5
Income tax-$274.4K6$07$08$09$05-$7.2M5-$13.4M5
Net income-$8.4M6-$2.2M7-$5.0M8-$12.0M9-$18.4M5-$4.8M5-$71.5M5
Earnings per share-$0.366-$0.237-$0.288-$0.679-$0.365-$0.075-$0.845
Earnings per share (diluted)-$0.366-$0.237-$0.288-$0.679-$0.365-$0.075-$0.845
Shares (weighted, basic)56.3M shares570.7M shares585.6M shares5
Shares (weighted, diluted)56.3M shares570.7M shares585.6M shares5

Compare Vertex Energy Inc. with another company

Corporate structure

Vertex Energy Inc. sits at the top of its group. 1 entity, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Major holders of Vertex Energy Inc.

  • HIGHBRIDGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC Filed SCHEDULE 13D/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jan 23, 2025 (2 filings since Oct 1, 2024)
  • Jennifer Straumins Filed SCHEDULE 13D/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jan 23, 2025 (2 filings since Oct 1, 2024)
  • CrowdOut Credit Opportunities Fund LLC Filed SCHEDULE 13D/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jan 22, 2025 (2 filings since Oct 1, 2024)
  • WHITEBOX ADVISORS LLC Filed SCHEDULE 13D/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jan 22, 2025 (2 filings since Oct 1, 2024)
  • VANGUARD GROUP INC Filed SC 13G/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Nov 12, 2024 (3 filings since Feb 13, 2024)
  • State Street Corporation Filed SC 13G/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jan 22, 2024 (4 filings since Oct 11, 2022)
  • Benjamin P. Cowart Filed SC 13D/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jun 20, 2023 (4 filings since Feb 4, 2022)
  • Laurence W. Lytton Filed SC 13G/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Feb 13, 2023 (2 filings since Feb 15, 2022)
  • MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC Filed SC 13G on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jun 27, 2022
  • Richard Jacinto Ii. Filed SC 13G/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest Jun 10, 2022 (2 filings since Feb 2, 2022)
  • Bunker One (USA), Inc. Filed SC 13D/A on Vertex Energy Inc., latest May 6, 2022
  • Vertex Energy Inc. Houston, United States

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Vertex Energy Inc. reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Property and equipment

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Property and equipment, before depreciation$383.7M5 Dec 31, 2023$237.9M5 Dec 31, 2022+61.3%
Accumulated depreciation$57.6M5 Dec 31, 2023$36.2M5 Dec 31, 2022+59.3%
Property and equipment, net$326.1M5 Dec 31, 2023$201.7M5 Dec 31, 2022+61.6%
Finance-lease assets$64.5M5 Dec 31, 2023$44.1M5 Dec 31, 2022+46.3%
Operating-lease assets (leased space)$96.4M5 Dec 31, 2023$53.6M5 Dec 31, 2022+80.0%

Investments

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Cash and cash equivalents$77.0M5 Dec 31, 2023$141.3M5 Dec 31, 2022−45.5%

Intangibles and goodwill

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Finite-lived intangibles, gross$33.2M5 Dec 31, 2023$29.3M5 Dec 31, 2022+13.2%
Accumulated amortization$21.6M5 Dec 31, 2023$17.5M5 Dec 31, 2022+23.7%
Finite-lived intangibles, net$11.5M5 Dec 31, 2023$11.8M9 Dec 31, 2022−2.4%

Inventory

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Inventory, total$182.1M5 Dec 31, 2023$135.5M5 Dec 31, 2022+34.4%

Leadership

Who has led Vertex Energy Inc., and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chief executive

  1. Benjamin P. Cowart2009–2024

Chair

  1. John Pimentel2007–2008

President

  1. James L. Ferris2007
  2. Benjamin P. Cowart2009–2024

Chief financial officer

  1. David Rane2007
  2. Adam Shore2008
  3. Christopher Allen Stratton2009
  4. Chris Carlson2011–2023

Chief operating officer

  1. Matthew Lieb2007–2014
  2. David Peel2014
  3. John Noel Strickland2015–2022
  4. James Gary Rhame2022–2023
2010201520202025
Board members and other officers (18)

Former names

  • WORLD WASTE TECHNOLOGIES INCAug 30, 2004 to Mar 31, 20093
  • VOICE POWERED TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL INCMay 13, 1996 to Aug 27, 20043

Timeline

  1. Jan 22, 20258-K Entered a material agreement; Ended a material agreement; Bankruptcy or receivership39
  2. Jan 21, 20258-K Regulation FD disclosure40
  3. Dec 27, 20248-K Bankruptcy or receivership; Change to shareholders' rights41
  4. Nov 5, 20248-K Executive or director change42
  5. Oct 9, 20248-K Other events43
  6. Oct 1, 20248-K Entered a material agreement; New debt or obligation; Listing notice or transfer44
  7. Sep 26, 20248-K Entered a material agreement; Bankruptcy or receivership; Debt or obligation accelerated45
  8. Sep 6, 20248-K Executive or director change; Regulation FD disclosure46
  9. Aug 30, 20248-K Listing notice or transfer47
  10. Aug 26, 20248-K Entered a material agreement; New debt or obligation; Change to shareholders' rights48
  11. Aug 8, 20248-K Results of operations49
  12. Jul 30, 20248-K Entered a material agreement; Ended a material agreement; New debt or obligation50
  13. May 15, 2009New chief executive Benjamin P. Cowart becomes CEO13
  14. May 13, 2008Founded Vertex Energy Inc. is founded2

Calendar

When it reported results

  1. Aug 8, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results49
  2. Jul 16, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results51
  3. May 9, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results52
  4. Apr 18, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results53
  5. Feb 29, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results54
  6. Feb 28, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results55
  7. Jan 23, 2024Reported quarterly or annual results56
  8. Nov 7, 2023Reported quarterly or annual results57

Upcoming dates from Nasdaq's calendar; past results from the company's 8-K filings (Item 2.02). The full markets calendar

Filings

255 filings to the SEC since October 2021: 4 annual reports, 10 quarterly reports, 86 major events, 49 insider forms, 33 large holders, 73 other. The latest 20:

  1. Feb 3, 202515-12G NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION OF A CLASS OF SECURITIES EDGAR
  2. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  3. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  4. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  5. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  6. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  7. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  8. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  9. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  10. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  11. Jan 31, 2025EFFECT EDGAR
  12. Jan 29, 202525-NSE EDGAR
  13. Jan 23, 202525 NOTIFICATION FILED BY ISSUER EDGAR
  14. Jan 23, 2025SCHEDULE 13D/A EDGAR
  15. Jan 23, 2025SCHEDULE 13D/A EDGAR
  16. Jan 22, 20258-K CURRENT REPORT EDGAR
  17. Jan 22, 2025S-8 POS POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT EDGAR
  18. Jan 22, 2025S-8 POS POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT EDGAR
  19. Jan 22, 2025S-8 POS POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT EDGAR
  20. Jan 22, 2025S-8 POS POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT EDGAR

The 255 filings since October 2021 can be filtered by form type and year here when JavaScript is on.

Every filing from the last five years, summarized. The full record is on SEC EDGAR.

Insider trades

17 open-market trades by officers, directors and large owners since October 2021: 1 buys and 16 sales. Grants, option exercises and gifts are left out.

DateWhoTradeSharesPriceValueFiling
Apr 10, 2024Khoury OdehDirectorSale2,250$1.16$2.6KForm 4
Nov 10, 2023Stratton Christopher AllenDirectorSale100,000$3.93$393.0KForm 4
May 12, 2023Rhame James GaryChief Operating OfficerBuy4,000$6.33$25.3KForm 4
Apr 19, 2023Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale66,666$8.00$533.3KForm 4
Apr 11, 2023Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale66,667$8.29$552.7KForm 4
Mar 6, 2023Stratton Christopher AllenDirectorSale25,000$10.08$252.0KForm 4
Mar 2, 2023Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale66,667$10.05$670.0KForm 4
Feb 27, 2023Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale66,666$8.10$540.0KForm 4
Nov 17, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale66,666$8.13$542.0KForm 4
Nov 1, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale66,667$8.62$574.7KForm 4
Oct 19, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale71,132$8.07$574.0KForm 4
Sep 13, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale71,133$8.08$574.8KForm 4
Aug 9, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale71,133$8.29$589.7KForm 4
Jul 20, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale71,132$11.33$805.9KForm 4
Jul 12, 2022Cowart Benjamin PCEO and PresidentSale71,133$10.38$738.4KForm 4
Jun 3, 2022Phillips David LDirectorSale99,621$16.33$1.6MForm 4
Jun 2, 2022Phillips David LDirectorSale33,207$15.50$514.7KForm 4

From Forms 4 filed with the SEC.

Major holders

Investors who own more than 5% of the shares must tell the SEC: a 13D if they may seek to influence the company, a 13G if they hold passively.

SEC filer profile

How Vertex Energy Inc. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, from its EDGAR record and the cover page of its latest annual report.

  • Name on EDGARVertex Energy Inc.1
  • CIK0000890447
  • Employer ID (EIN)94-34395691
  • Filer statusAccelerated filer1
  • Incorporated inNevada1
  • Fiscal year endsDecember 311
  • Industry code (SIC)2911 Petroleum Refining1
  • SEC reviewing officeOffice of Energy & Transportation, Division of Corporation Finance1
  • Business address1331 Gemini Street, Suite 250, Houston, TX 770581
  • Phone866-660-81561
  • Shares outstanding93,514,346 as of Aug 7, 202411
  • Public float$535.0M as of Jun 30, 20235
  • On EDGAR sinceMay 10, 19961
  • Filings1,037 in all: 8-K (278), 4 (220), 10-Q (55), CORRESP (35), 3 (34), UPLOAD (34), 10QSB (31), EFFECT (25)1
    All 67 form types

    DEF 14A (19), DEFA14A (19), 10-K (18), 424B3 (17), 8-K/A (17), SC 13G/A (17), POS AM (16), SC 13D (15), SC 13D/A (14), SC 13G (13), NT 10-Q (11), 10KSB (9), 4/A (9), CT ORDER (9), S-3 (8), S-1/A (7), S-8 POS (7), PRER14A (6), 10KSB/A (5), NT 10-K (5), RW (5), S-1 (5), S-8 (5), SCHEDULE 13D/A (5), 10-K/A (4), 10-Q/A (4), 10QSB/A (4), D (4), 144 (3), REGDEX (3), 424B5 (2), DEF 14C (2), DEFR14A (2), NTN 10K (2), POS EX (2), POSASR (2), PRE 14A (2), PRE 14C (2), PREM14A (2), S-3/A (2), S-3ASR (2), SB-2 (2), SEC STAFF LETTER (2), 10KSB40 (1), 15-12B (1), 15-12G (1), 25 (1), 25-NSE (1), 5 (1), 8-A12B (1), 8-K12G3 (1), ARS (1), CERTNAS (1), DEFM14A (1), DEFS14A (1), PRES14A (1), SB-2/A (1), SC 14F1 (1), SCHEDULE 13D (1)

  • Latest filingsAnnual report (10-K) Mar 7, 2024
    Quarterly report (10-Q) Aug 8, 2024
    Proxy statement (DEF 14A) Apr 29, 2024
    Latest 8-K (8-K) Jan 22, 2025

Sources

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