Sealub Alliance Americas partnered with several blenders and delivery agents to launch a marine lubricants manufacturing, supply and distribution network in the United States and select areas of Canada.
An affiliate of Hong Kong-headquartered Gulf Oil Marine, Sealub Alliance Americas established the network to support delivery operations in more than 80 ports in the U.S. and Canada. The Americas group has also established new supply operations in Panama, Hawaii and on the Mississippi River. Weve got five blenders, and a total of nine warehouses all through the U.S. East Coast, Gulf and West Coast, Keith Saddler, general manager for Sealub Alliance Americas, told Lube Report.
Blender partners include Advanced Lubrication Specialties of Bensalem, Pa.; Martin Midstream Mega Lubricants, also serving as delivery agent, of Houston; General Petroleum of Los Angeles, also a delivery agent; Pacific Functional Fluids of Tacoma, Wash.; and Panalube Division of Maxum Oil Service de Panama, also a delivery agent. Other delivery agent partners include Marine Oil Service of Norfolk, Va.; Belle Chasse Marine Transportation of Belle Chasse, La.; and Rainier Petroleum of Rainier, Wash.
There hasnt been a new player on a global basis that has come into the marine lubricants market in decades and decades, Saddler noted. Sealubs team includes senior executives and top level managers from a variety of major oil companies and additive companies. Saddler, who spent 30 years with Mobil and ExxonMobil before retiring in 2007, said hiring experienced people has enabled the company to take what theyve considered the best practices of those different companies, learn from the executives and managers experiences, and come up with a business model attractive to ship owners.
The interesting thing weve done here is we specialize only in marine lubricants, he continued. We dont have gas stations, dont have industrial oils, cutting oils – we only have marine lubricants. We do no fuels at all. Weve got a business made up of very experienced people, who are very focused on just one segment of the market.
He pointed out that while the oil majors are pulling out in certain areas, reducing the number of ports they provide marine lubricants to, Sealub continues to service more and more ports around the world. The Sealub Alliance includes global coverage of more than 700 ports in more than 90 countries. The company said it has additional plans to expand its capabilities in Canada and to establish a presence on the Great Lakes in 2010.
By having product there, but by not having the big infrastructure of major oil companies with refineries, brick and mortar buildings and everything else, were able to keep our costs low, Saddler explained. Our overhead is extremely low compared to an integrated oil company. So we can afford to stick this product at very convenient locations around the world.