Joseph Berquist, vice president and managing director for Quaker North America, noted that while G.W. Smith sells primarily in North America, it does sell overseas as well. We think its a good opportunity for us to leverage our global infrastructure to take a pretty good business and grow it into other regions, Berquist told Lube Report. They do use some distribution in the other regions. We will have the ability also to leverage our infrastructure in those regions as well – either to support those distributors or to go direct where it makes sense.

Many of our customers have die casting and related operations, said Quaker Chemical CEO Michael Barry. We are excited about the prospect of offering G.W. Smith & Sons complementary product line to our existing customers, both in the U.S. and globally, as well as offering our metalworking products to G.W. Smiths customers.

G.W. Smith will operate as a stand-alone subsidiary of Quaker, and continue to be led by Victor Smith Jr., president. We are excited to become part of a much larger company, as it will give us direct access to additional resources and a broader base of skilled associates from around the globe, said Smith.

Quaker, of Conshohocken, Pa., will offer its Quakercool coolants, Quintolubric hydraulic fluids and specialty greases to G.W. Smith & Sons customers. G.W. Smith & Sons will be able to offer its Die Slick release agents, Plunger Slick plunger lubricants and Hydro Slick machining fluids to Quaker customers.

According to its web site, G.W. Smith has been in the die cast lubricant industry for more than 60 years and was the first to develop a water-based die lubricant. The companys other specialty products include lubricants and greases for ejector pins, solder reduction and quench compounds.