A recent Frost and Sullivan analysis of transmission technologies in Europe predicts a steady rise in popularity of dual clutch transmissions. Additive companies officials told Lube Report these transmissions require specially designed fluids that share properties of both gear oils and automatic transmission fluids. The study, Strategic Analysis of the European Market for Transmission Technologies, projects the share of automated manual transmissions (AMTs) and dual clutch transmissions (DCT) in...

The past week brought positive financial reports from lubricant suppliers Fuchs Petrolub, Quaker Chemical and Milacrons Industrial Fluids segment, though Milacron itself saw a net loss for the first quarter. Fuchs Petrolub AG, the worlds largest independent lubricant manufacturer, reported net profits of 27 million (U.S. $36.7 million) in the first quarter of 2007, a 39 percent increase over the year-ago period. Sales revenues reached 339.2 million, up 2 percent from 332.7 million in last years ...

The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency last week awarded a $6.25 billion, five-year contract to Science Applications International Corp. of Fairfield, N.J., to privatize the storage, warehousing and distribution of packaged petroleum, oils and lubricants, as well as certain chemicals. With respect to the SAIC packaged petroleum, oil and lubricants, and chemicals contract, DLA spokeswoman Lana Hampton told Lube Report, privatization means that tasks once performed by the Defense Logistics Agency will ...

Canada’s Parkland Income Fund has agreed to buy lubricants and fuel marketer United Petroleum Products of Burnaby, British Columbia. Parkland on May 2 said it expects closing of the acquisition within four weeks, witha purchase price of Canadian $18 million (U.S. $16.3 million). They are a customer of ours, and they are in markets that are complementary to ours, which allows us to expand our business more towards the west coast, Parkland President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Chorlton ...

Fuchs Petrolub AG last week announced the acquisitions of the forging business of lubricants supplier Igucima Indstria de Lubrificantes Ltda. and the specialty grease business of Tribotcnica Lubrificantes Especiais Ltda., both in Brazil. Terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed. Mannheim, Germany-based Fuchs projects the business acquisitions will increase sales revenues of its Fuchs Do Brasil operation by 20 percent from its 22 million (U.S. $29.9 million) total for 2006 to about 26.4 milli...

Pegasus Capital Advisors has invested in Universal Lubricants, to allow theWichita, Kans., lubricant manufacturer and marketer to expand in the areas of branded oil distribution and used oil collection, the companies announced last week, with the promise of more news to follow in 60 days. Weve been looking for the right partner to help us expand our business operations in the areas of branded oil distribution and used oil collection, and weve found that in Pegasus, said Michael B. Maloney, Unive...

Specialty synthetic lubricants producer Anderol Inc. has opened a new warehouse in Guangzhou, on the Pearl River Delta in the Guanzhou Free Trade Zone, to provide faster delivery response time. The opening of our warehouse is evidence of Chinas strategic importance in Anderols overall global growth plans, John Pannucci, chief operating officer and general manager for Anderol, told Lube Report. This facility is centrally located to support convenient and efficient shipment – within one to ...