From a supermarket to a bowling alley, the company has been a "venture catalyst" for a wide diversity of entrepreneurs in Atyrau, the center of Kazakhstan's oil industry and closest large city to the giant Tengiz Field.
Through partnerships, ChevronTexaco helps transfer western entrepreneurial knowledge to hundreds of local businesses. Joining with the United Nations, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the U.S. Government, the company created the Small and Medium Business Enterprise (SME) program in Atyrau.
The SME-sponsored Atyrau Business Advisory Center has counseled hundreds of local firms, aided in preparation of business plans and helped fund - among other enterprises - Atyrau's first bowling alley and western-style supermarket. So far, separate loans and micro-credits have gone to an expanded furniture manufacturer and service station, clothing and jewelry makers and food processors.
Technical assistance also has been provided to the Atyrau Association of Entrepreneurs, the Association of Business Women and other groups. A 60-ton-per-day bakery was constructed under the Atyrau Bonus Program, a $50-million community development effort by Tengizchevroil (TCO).