Citing concerns that it was preparing an unfair playing field, the American Petroleum Institute said Friday that it will postpone the start of commercial licensing for the SM category of passenger car motor oils until Nov. 30, a delay of two months. In a letter to members of its Lubricants Committee, the institute suggested that it acted at least in part because of complaints that not all passenger car motor oil marketers could obtain approvals needed to offer SM oils by Sept. 30. The letter imp...

ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants has taken note of shifting demographics in the United States. The company announced this month that it has begun labeling and advertising its lubricants for on-road trucking in Spanish as well as English. Officials said the company made the move to try to appeal to Hispanics, who now constitute the nations largest minority. Offering product literature and other marketing materials in the Spanish language makes it easier for Hispanic customers to learn about our pr...

Young lubricant industry professionals undergo more continuing education than their veteran counterparts, according to a recent survey by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. The results also indicate that desire to keep current with industry developments is a bigger motivator than hopes for promotion. The survey results were based on nearly 300 responses to a questionnaire distributed by e-mail. Approximately one-fourth of respondents were nonmembers of the Chicago-based profe...

Valvoline achieved a 25 percent increase in profitability for the three-month period ended June 30, thanks mostly to increased sales of premium products and other branded lubricants. Parent company Ashland Inc. said Monday that Valvoline had operating income of $30 million for the period, the third quarter of its fiscal year, up from $24 million for the same quarter last year. Lubricant sales volumes rose just barely — from 49.2 million gallons in the third quarter of last year to 50 milli...