Southeastern distributor Pugh Lubricants said last week that it is building a 40,000-square-foot distribution center in Suffolk, Virginia. The center, which will be the companys third, is scheduled to open by the end of summer. Pugh is based in Asheboro, N.C., and claims to be one of the largest lube distributors in the Southeast. Its other two centers are in Asheboro and in Charleston, S.C. The company sells automotive and industrial lubricants, along with automotive maintenance chemicals in th...

Lubrizol Corp. announced Thursday that it has agreed to sell its food ingredients and industrial specialties businesses to an affiliate of private investment firm Sun Capital Partners Inc. It is the largest of four non-core divestitures that Lubrizol has made in the past seven months. Sun Capital Partners, of Boca Raton, Fla., is a behind-the-scenes player in the lubricants industry, having bought white oils supplier Sonneborn Inc. from the former Crompton Corp. last June. The operations it acqu...

HONG KONG – Chinas high-performance grease market offers huge potential for growth, according to state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp., which plans to build a new naphthenic base oil refinery to supply the regions growing grease and lubricant industries. While grease production in China nearly doubled from 2000 to 2004, the domestic grease industry is characterized by overcapacity and small-scale production. Wang JinFeng, senior engineer with China Offshore Oil & Gas Developme...

Farm products giant Cargill Inc. is taking a big step into the worlds glycerin market, with plans to open three plants in Europe and North America by August. The company says the refined plant oils can be used in water-based hydraulic fluids, among other applications. Late last month the company announced that a June opening is scheduled for a plant in Iowa Falls, Iowa, with capacity to make 30 million pounds per year of U.S. pharmocopeia (USP) grade glycerin. A plant in Salzgitter, Germany, ope...

SALT LAKE CITY – The head of Exxon Mobil Corp. mounted a free-market defense here yesterday of the heavily scrutinized oil industry, arguing that it has done a great job providing affordable fuel while meeting increasingly stringent environmental demands. In a keynote address at the National Petrochemical and Refiners Associations annual meeting, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rex W. Tillerson maintained that unimpeded competition is the best way to ensure the industry meets Americas...

The giant expansion of Motivas Port Arthur, Texas, base oil plant came online last week, bringing a whopping 15,000 barrels per day of new capacity to a thirsty market. The project makes Port Arthur by far the largest base oil plant in the world. Observers said it will help the market in coming months – if not immediately – as it strives to recover from an unprecedented series of disruptions. Lord knows the industry needs it – not only the United States but all around the globe...