The former owner of Anderson Oil Co. and Anderson Propane has been a strong supporter of Fredericksburg City Public Schools.
When local businessman Mark Anderson was looking to sell his companies—Anderson Oil and Anderson Propane Services—recently, he bypassed brokers and solicitors to work directly with another family-owned company.
According to the Rappahannock Rotary Club, which presented the 14th annual Ethics in Business award to Anderson this month, this act “emphasizes the importance of transitioning all employees and customers to a buyer who shares [Anderson’s] values.”
The award honors a Fredericksburg area businessperson for demonstrating “high ethical standards in their business and exemplifying the values of Rotary’s Four-Way Test,” the club announced in a press release.
Rotarians worldwide use the Four-Way Test to guide person and business decision-making, asking themselves “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
Anderson worked to foster in his companies “a culture of integrity, trust, and unwavering commitment to customers, employees, and the community,” the press release states.
For two years in a row, Anderson chose Fredericksburg City Public Schools to be the beneficiary of Anderson Propane’s charity golf tournament. In 2022, the company donated $15,000 to open Tough City Suds, a fully equipped laundry facility located in James Monroe High School, where students and local families can wash their clothes in private.
The following year, Anderson presented the school with a $20,000 to open a mobile version of the Giving Tree, its clothing and hygiene supply pantry for students and families.
The Rotary Club also presented Ethics Awards to local high school students Addison Beard (Fredericksburg Christian School), Spogmai Khan (James Monroe High School), Jonas Pompilio (The Oberle Academy), and Brandon Harrison (Spotsylvania Career and Tech Center).
