Tulstar Products is now marketing in North America a range of lubricant additives manufactured and licensed by Tianhe Chemicals of China.
The two companies signed a collaboration agreement in September. As part of Tianhes international strategy to market their technology and products globally, we have selected Tulstar Products to expand our presence in North America, said Colin Stone, Tianhes vice president of international marketing and sales.
Tulsa, Okla.-based chemical distributor Tulstar has begun storing and marketing Tianhes additive components and packages at locations within the United States, and said it will expand the line further as customer demand grows.
Tianhe has proven products that are already used in Asia and Europe, according to Jeremy Kriska, Tulstars director of sales and marketing. Were excited to be able to offer those into the United States and North America, to get folks alternatives to the traditional sources that theyve been using, Kriska told Lube Report. It gives us kind of a global brand that we get to offer into the North American market. These products come with full data packages and proven technologies.
From our standpoint, were going to focus on areas where we feel there are some market gaps, with some needs, Kriska continued. So initially were looking at mainly the industrial side. That will include additives for gear oils, metalworking and possibly tractor fluids, among other products, he said. Weve also got access to basic components, including antiwear components, detergents, dispersants and oxidation inhibitors, he continued. Examples of the chemistries involved include zinc thiophosphate, calcium sulfonates and succinates.
Tulstar has warehouses in southern California, Texas and Oklahoma. Initially, thats where we store the products. Well store products where theres a market demand for it, Kriska said. Tulstar will offer Tianhes products in both drum and bulk form. Were targeting different size ranges for different customers, he noted.
The two companies made initial contact at trade shows, and were in discussions for about eight to 10 months, according to Kriska. We started carrying some of their products kind of quietly, and finally decided in talking with them, well go ahead and make it a little more public, he noted.
According to its web site, Tianhe Chemicals Group is headquartered in Jinzhou, a coastal city in Chinas Liaoning Province. Its customers have included Chinese government-owned oil giants Sinopec and PetroChina. Tianhes business operation covers Asia and more than 50 countries and regions around the world.