Cometic Gasket announced yesterday the acquisition of Indiana-based Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, which blends and packages lubricants for the automotive and a variety of racing and recreational applications.
Brad Kruckenberg, a powersports industry veteran from the Lemans Corp. with over 30 years of experience, will serve as president, while founder and CEO John Klotz was named chairman emeritus and will continue serving in a leadership role. Klotz will remain at its Fort Wayne headquarters, where all products are engineered, formulated and packaged in its purpose-built facility.
Klotz’ caters to racers and performance enthusiasts. Its lubricants products include engine oils, transmission oils, gear oils, chain case lubes, differential lubricants and aerosols. The majority of its products come in bottles and drums.
“They have the skills, the product knowledge and the resources to carry the Klotz name well into the future,” Klotz said of Cometic Gasket. “I’m not going anywhere, but it’s time to leave the heavy lifting to a team with a fresh set of eyes and great expectations.”
Kruckenberg said in a press release, “Our focus is to charge into 2021 aggressively and keep building on the already solid foundation Mr. Klotz has laid before us,”
According to a company product brochure, John Klotz started his racing career with one of the first Go-Karts manufactured in Southern California by Go-Kart Manufacturing Co. in 1958.
Klotz created Special Formula full synthetic engine oil in 1959, later changing its name and trademarking it as Klotz TechniPlate. After testing, he tweaked the formula to create the still-standing Original Klotz TechniPlate formula with a unique smell. He began to sell the product to a few fellow racers to help pay for his racing.
John Klotz continued to sell the formula and became a local Indiana champion, going on to race semi-pro in the USAC series. He started Klotz Synthetic Lubricants in 1959.
Founded in 1989, Concord, Ohio-based Cometic Gasket is a leading worldwide supplier of gaskets and engine sealing solutions for the automotive performance, powersports, original equipment and remanufactured engine industries.
According to its website, the markets it serve show some synergy with those served by Klotz.
Its gaskets are used in domestic, import and diesel automotive vehicles. In powersports, the gaskets are used in dirt bikes, street bikes, all-terrain vehicles and karts. In marine, they are used in personal water craft, inboard and outboard motors. Its v-twin gaskets are used in Harley Davidson and V-Twin motorcycles.