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Warren Oil Company, Inc in Dunn, NC is now
advising customers it will begin using
tracers in several of its lube oils as early
as August, 2009. The purpose of this program
is to control quality, to determine whose
oil is in a customer's tank and to deter
commingling.
According to Irvin Warren, President and
C.E.O. of Warren Oil Company, "We have
recently become aware that our Warren,
Coastal and Lubriguard Products are in some
instances being commingled at distributor
plants with other brands of oils, therefore
compromising our products, overall quality,
physical characteristics, and integrity.
Therefore, a tracer will be added to Warren,
Coastal, and Lubriguard bulk products prior
to shipping."
Warren says they face two significant
challenges in bulk lubricant sales.
- Is there a real problem with poor
quality lubricants in the marketplace?
- Is API, ILMA, or anyone doing
something about it?
- How likely is it that if there are
some bad apples in the independent
lubricant manufacturer basket, they will
spoil the whole bunch?
- Are low quality/off spec lubricants
a serious threat to legitimate products
and suppliers?
- If you believe there is a problem
with quality, what products should be
first to look at and why?
- If there is a quality problem in the
marketplace, what can, and should be
done to address it?
To the second point, Irvin Warren says, it
knows its "quality is equal to or exceeds
the majors so we do not worry of a failure
and neither should the majors. We are
concerned for the majors that not all
independents produce product equal to ours
and could cause grave problems if commingled
with a major. We are also concerned that the
customer is paying a higher price than
necessary when the product has been
commingled."
Warren goes on to say, "It is the
responsibility of the distributor to make
certain he supplies his customer with an
identifiable product meeting O.E.M.
requirements. A consumer nor the distributor
should not purchase for resale a house
brand, fighting grade brand, or generic
brand unless the physical characteristics of
the oil are presented and proven that they
will meet O.E.M. specifications."
As an independent compound blender of lube
oils, Warren says it knows "we can produce a
product that satisfies all the requirements
of API and the manufacturers of the
equipment. We are totally dedicated to
producing products that will perform the
same as Shell, Pennzoil, Castrol or any
major. Warren Oil Company enjoys competing
with the majors but we know we must have a
superior product if we are to endure long
term. We do not and will not align ourselves
with manufacturers who use less additive
treat than is required or an additive
package that has never been tested,
qualified, or certified. The difference in
our cost and that of a major is that
reflected by savings in labor, overhead,
efficiencies, no national advertising
program, and the fact that the C.E.O. of
this company can still drive a forklift."
Irvin Warren told JobbersWorld "If an
independent manufacturer is to survive long
term, it must produce quality product, even
using the majors as a standard. I believe
the majors and reputable independent
manufacturers can and will co-exist as long
as the independents produce quality
products. Finally, manufacturers cheating or
compromising formulas will experience
temporary profit and growth but will
ultimately end in failure like many who are
not in business today." |
