PALM BEACH, FL — Maneuvering the rough waters of industry consolidation remains a key challenge for the lubricants industry today, says Alex McLean of Ethyl Petroleum Additives. For example, of the company’s top 13 customers three years ago, only six remain, “and who knows where it all will stop?” he asked. Other drivers include the needs to embrace environmentalism and properly allocate research and development dollars, he told the National Lubricating Grease Institute&#...

CHS Cooperatives may not acquire a Farmland Industries grease plant, after all. When the two farm cooperatives announced early this month that CHS was buying Farmlands 40 percent stake in their Country Energy joint venture, they stated that CHS would assume ownership of lube factories – including a Kansas City, Mo., grease plant – that Farmland brought to the partnership in 1998. This week, however, CHS officials acknowledged that the cooperatives are considering adjustments to the d...

Ethyl Corp. announced thatcontinuing operationslost money during the third quarter but added that it has finished a downsizing program undertaken earlier this year and expects its performance to rebound by the end of the year. After the earnings report was issued Friday, the price of Ethyls stock jumped from 69 cents per share to $1, before closing Tuesday at 92 cents. That was still significantly lower than its 52-week high of $2.44. Excluding non-recurring items, the Richmond, Va., additive ma...