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.
- Lesser quality bulk products commingled
in its customer tanks by suppliers
who do not adhere to the same standards of
quality as Warren Oil Company.
- Bulk products sold as, or
substituted for a major brand.
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."
