Afton Chemical Corp. on Monday said it chose Multichem Inc. as distributor in Canada for its TecGard metalworking fluid additives, including extreme pressure agents, corrosion inhibitors and emulsifiers. Ian Macpherson, marketing manager for Afton, told Lube Report that the partnership, which is the first time the two companies have worked together, is a good fit from a growth perspective. We launched that product line about three or four years ago, so therefore its relatively new, Macpherson sa...

South Korean base oil refiner SK Corp.s board of directors has approved a proposal to split SK into a holding company, expected to be named SK Holdings, and an operating company, tentatively named SK Energy-chemical, with each company listed separately on the Korea Stock Exchange. The company announced the plan April 11. K.S. Ryu, senior manager for SKs base oil business team, told Lube Report, even though SK will change the company structure to a holding company structure, this will not have a...

OAO LukOil last week announced that its subsidiary lubricant business LLK-International has joined the Technical Association of the European Lubricants Industry (ATIEL), a nonprofit organization of engine oil producing companies and vendors operating in Europe. In addition to LLK, the 16 largest global engine oil manufacturers – including BPCastrol, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Total and Shell – have previously become members of the association. The association aims to solve technical issues...

Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., the continents biggest used oil rerefiner, has received a $14.2 million contract from the Defense Supply Center in Richmond, Va. to support the continuous U.S. closed loop motor oil program. We sell them rerefined motor oil, and under the contract terms, we will pick up their used oil, Bill Shiels, director of lubricant sales for Safety-Kleen, told Lube Report. Thats where closed loop comes from – we pick up the used oil, rerefine it and sell it back to them. Its...

Galena Associates LLC, which now has 81 Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchise stores, recently acquired Expressway Lube Centers, a chain of 23 fast-lube service centers throughout Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. Terms of the acquisition were undisclosed. Expressway has great locations, and it fit right into our operating area, Galena Associates owner Mike Ferri told Lube Report. There will be a signage change, a name change, and all the products will all be changing over to Valvoline pr...

Energy, grains and food company CHS Inc. has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the liquid lubricants business of Nor-Lakes Services Midwest Inc. of Hugo, Minn. and The Farm-Oyl Co. of St. Paul, Minn. Terms were not disclosed for the joint acquisition, which is expected to close on April 30. Nor-Lakes Services Midwest is a private-label lubricant and grease manufacturer, founded in 1988. Products it manufactures include the Farm-Oyl brand. Farm Oyl has manufactured and marketed lubricants fo...