Global grease production continued at a steady pace last year, totaling 2.5 billion pounds, down just 0.4 percent from 2016, according to the National Lubricating Grease Institutes recently released 2017 Grease Production Survey Report.
But within the seemingly flat market, the data reveal shifts happening between geographic regions, thickeners and base oil types. For example, comparative data show an 8.3 percent increase in European output, while lithium complex grease production increased at the expense of simple lithium and other thickener types.
The full 30-page report includes prior-year data going back to 2014, and is available to download atwww.nlgi.org.The secure PDF is free for NLGI member companies, and non-members can purchase the report.
Also during its annual meeting, NLGI honored LubesnGreases co-founder Lisa Tocci with its Achievement Award and a lifetime membership for her dedication to the industry. Lisa served on the NLGI board of directors for 19 years before retiring in the spring. Accepting her award, Lisa recognized the several dozen women delegates at the conference, recalling she was one of only five at her first meeting. Women are the great untapped resource for NLGI, she emphasized.
Keep an eye on your email, because an invitation for the Lubricants Industry Salary Survey might be landing in your inbox this month. The biannual survey is sent to a random selection of subscribers in the U.S. who manage lubricant sales and marketing teams, R&D divisions or production facilities. Once you answer the online questionnaire, your anonymous responses are sent to independent analysts at Charles A. Mann Associates, where individual answers are kept in strict confidence.
We encourage you to take a few minutes to fill out the brief survey if you receive a link. You will be contributing to an important resource gauging the compensation that workers in the lubes industry receive and the trends defining the workforce. Readers can look forward to seeing the highlights in our upcoming October, November and December issues. We appreciate your participation!
Howard Briskin
HBriskin@LubesnGreases.com