Valvoline Celebrates 150th Birthday at Automechanika Shanghai

For Valvoline, there was no better place to celebrate its 150^th birthday than at this year’s Automechanika Shanghai, held from December 2 to 5.

Established in 1886, the premier global producer and distributor of premium-branded automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants, is the globe’s first trademarked lubricant brand. Valvoline founder, Dr. John Ellis, invented a petroleum-based motor oil for use in the steam engines of the time. During the first 150 years, the company grew to one of the biggest independent lubricant makers in the globe, using a combination of advanced products and services, serving different vehicles, including two wheelers, passenger cars and heavy-duty equipment. Valvoline, today, has over 4,100 employees worldwide, offering products and services in over 150 countries, with yearly revenue of $2 billion. One of the drivers of its growth in recent years is the international expansion in markets such as China.

Today, Valvoline continuously grows worldwide. It operates and franchises 942 Valvoline Instant Oil ChangesSM (VIOC) centers in the USA, being the second-largest quick-lube brand. Given that VIOC operates 279 of these stores directly, it enables the company to develop profound, hands on expertise in all aspects of the business—expertise that Valvoline utilizes to develop products and solutions to benefit the 663 VIOC franchisees, as well as tens of thousands of independent installers worldwide. In commercial equipment segments, the company leverages its relationships with OEMs such as Cummins to develop similar expertise. The Valvoline technology team first understands how the fluids interact with the engines in various conditions, then designs products for superior protection. This enables Valvoline products and services help commercial equipment operators reduce the total cost of operating their equipment, no matter where they operate.

At the recently concluded Automechanika Shanghai, Valvoline demonstrated how this distinctive approach continues to propel growth in the China market. With over 400 distributors, and relationships with a number of leading OEMs, the company has successfully reached thousands of installers and retail outlets throughout China. Moreover, Valvoline displayed a model of a VIOC store, which is presently under consideration for deployment outside the USA.

According to Craig Moughler, Managing Director of Valvoline International, over the past 15 years, Valvoline China has worked closely with its distributor and OEM partners, struggling to be the chosen business partner for them as well as installers and end users in a number of market segments. He noted that they have designed products particularly for the distinct needs of the China market, adding that they have built a strong team of leaders who have driven their success in the last few years. “Our China partnership with Cummins, in particular, provides high-quality, value-added products to help customers improve the operation of their equipment across a wide range of applications. This historical success forms a strong base for Valvoline’s business in China today. We believe this will provide the foundation for continued growth in this important market.”

Dominic Seto, Managing Director of Valvoline China, said that their China team is experienced, focused and hell-bent to speed up Valvoline’s growth, adding that they believe the company’s expertise-oriented approach would enable them to find and fill market requirements quickly.

Commenting on the company’s 150th anniversary, Sam Mitchell, Valvoline president, said that it is a huge milestone, reflecting the rich legacy of performance and innovation that Valvoline has delivered to their channel partners and end users for generations. “We are excited by the growth opportunities we see in China and we are confident that our continued investment will drive even greater success for Valvoline and our business partners.”