FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA by Outlook Publishing

FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest independent lubricants manufacturer meets Southern African demand

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Lubricants. Technology. People. Fuchs Lubricants South Africa is replicating a global stronghold on the lubricant manufacturing sector in a region that is becoming more and more aware of the product benefits that derive from the Company’s extensive range Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton UCHS Lubricants South Africa brings German manufacturing expertise to a highly lucrative regional market, and is looking to further compound its ongoing prominence on the continent via a host of acquisitions, expansions, facility enhancements and enrichment initiatives. As a subsidiary of FUCHS Petrolub SE - the largest independent manufacturer of specialist lubricants in the world - the Company’s ability to replicate such market success further afield should come as no surprise; but the ability to instil a local feel within an international environment is no mean feat, especially in Southern Africa. However, this is where an unparalleled product range and supply chain footprint comes into its own as the Company looks to hone in on its core goals of establishing itself as the foremost supplier of ultra-high

quality and specialised lubricants to the automotive, mining and industrial sectors, backed up by highly trained lubrication specialists. “FUCHS Lubricants South Africa offers the best of high quality German products, manufactured with only the highest quality mineral and synthetic base oils, and additive packages,” the Company states. National Commercial Sales Manager, Mitch Launspach adds: “FUCHS has an exceptionally wide range of products available in our portfolio, comprising the original Wm. Penn range of automotive products for vehicle owners wanting a decent quality oil at an affordable price, as well as the top-tier TITAN range of automotive products; many of which carrying a wide range of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) approvals. “In fact, FUCHS is arguably the largest supplier of lubricants to automotive aftermarket and industrial

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manufacturers of original equipment in South Africa. We also have a comprehensive range of products for every type of industrial application, as well as a range of lubricants for all applications in the mining industry, including pin and bush grease, open gear compounds and any other products in use on open-cast and deeplevel mining operations.”

Additionally, Cassida and Lubrasa lubricants for food grade applications and the Silkolene brand for motorcycles and quads add further to the comprehensive product range, bringing new opportunities to a market which has benefitted from the footprint covered by the Company – bridging South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia,

Swaziland, Botswana and Mozambique – while also enhancing the levels of manufacturing quality and compliance achieved by the business across all of its products in all of its countries of operation. “The quality of our blending plant and laboratory is of a standard that allows us to manufacture 90 percent of our entire product offering at our plant

in Isando, Gauteng. This includes most of the products that we manufacture as genuine oil for OEMs,” Launspach continues. “These products form part of the Group’s range of core products, which means that the quality of base oil, additives and manufacturing methods have to conform to the OEM specification, in every respect for the approval to be valid.

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S O U R C I N G Unichem House; 27 Island Circle Riverhorse Valley Business Estate Durban 4017 South Africa Telephone & Fax TEL: +27(0)31 534-6000 TEL: +27(0)31 576-0600 FAX: +27(0)31 576-0620 Postal Address P.O. Box 4205 Riverhorse Valley East 4017

PA R T N E R S H I P T H R O U G H I D E A S

Email: sales@unichem.co.za Web: www.unichem.co.za

LU B R I C A N T S & P E T R O C H E M I C A L S - P E R S O N A L C A R E & CO S M E T I C S - CO N S U M E R C A R E - I N D U S T R I A L C H E M I C A L S

nichem is an ISO:9001-2008 certified speciality chemical marketing and distribution Company, servicing the Africa and Middle East territories as ExxonMobil’s authorised synthetics distributor in the region. We strongly believe in forging long-term strategic partnerships with our key customers and suppliers. It is no coincidence that Fuchs SA and Unichem’s growth during the past 20 years has been somewhat aligned. Fuchs Lubricants’ ability to grow and sustain a substantial synthetics product line, and their no-compromise approach to achieving the highest performance in their grease technology, is perfectly matched to Unichem’s core business offerings. With a product portfolio that includes pharma grade white mineral oils, the full spectrum of synthetic base oils (such as PAO’s, PIB’s, PAG’s, esters), performance additive chemistry, and renewable chemicals from the global leaders in these technologies, Unichem is well-placed to support any performance programmes for its customers. The recent addition of Tianhe Chemicals (automotive & marine additives) and Evonik Industries (MWFs) to Unichem’s principal slate, allows us to offer a more complete range of additive technologies to the formulator. Our approach to grease additive technology is markedly different to the traditional approach. Through our grease additive principals, The Elco Corporation, we have redefined the way grease manufacturers, blenders and marketers can extract more value from this growing market segment. Working on a blank canvas approach, we encourage our grease customers to give us a sample of their base grease, along with a shopping list of performance requirements.

The Elco Corporation, using their vast library of componentry, optimise a package that delivers the performance requirements in our customers’ grease, allowing them to create their masterpiece, batch after batch. Working on a concept of brand insurance we understand the huge risks to established brands when entering sensitive market segment such as food, pharmaceutical and personal care. Inadequate raw material selection may possibly result in serious incidents, which not only put human lives at risk, but can also destroy brand value. Unichem’s experience of supplying raw materials to the personal care and cosmetics industries over the past 15 years has proven invaluable in setting up infrastructure to maintain product stewardship and integrity, in line with international best practices. Global megatrends are directing the lubricant industry towards a bio lubricant segment that will grow substantially within the next five years. Unichem has positioned itself as the leading bio lube raw materials supplier in our region and beyond. Our partnership with Novvi LLC has enabled Unichem to develop a range of synthetic-performing renewable and biodegradable lubricants. Unichem’s product slate will always be aligned to the principles of Intelligent Chemistry. We believe that delivering molecules to our customers that will save energy, reduce waste, and perform better, ultimately provides a safer future for our planet.

T +27(0)31 534-6000 E sales@unichem.co.za www.unichem.co.za

GLOBAL CHEMICAL SOURCING

Durban Head Office Unichem House, 27 Island Circle Riverhorse Valley Business Estate Durban 4017 South Africa Tel: +27(0)31 534-6000 E-Mail: sales@unichem.co.za Postal Address P.O. Box 4205 Riverhorse Valley East 4017 Unichem Johannesburg The Woodlands Office Park Western Service Road, Building 16 Woodmead 2052, Gauteng Tel: +27(0)11 202-0400 E-Mail: salesjhb@unichem.co.za

LUBRICANTS & PETROCHEMICALS - PERSONAL CARE & COSMETICS - CONSUMER CARE - INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS

Congratulations to Fuchs Lubricants on their growth and continued success! Unichem Services is proud to continue its longstanding service and support to Fuchs Lubricants in South Africa. Through our partnership, Fuchs continues to deliver environmentally friendly, cost reducing and energy saving products to the South African industrial market, and to the end user.

“The FUCHS Group understands that no two markets are completely the same, anywhere in the world, and this gives us the latitude to make our own decisions here in the region. However, this is done without compromising on the levels of quality, technology and service that have made FUCHS the largest independent lubricants manufacturer in the world.”

Technically superior

The current situation for FUCHS in Southern Africa represents a familiar trend for the Group which has branched out to most corners of the earth over the years in order to bring its market-leading products to as wide a customer base as possible. For South Africa specifically, this journey began in the early 1990s, as Launspach recalls. “Our German parent company was looking at acquiring a presence in the lubricants market in South Africa, and acquired four small independent

A comprehensive range of products for every type of industrial application

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Many household names rely on the FUCHS offering to maintain their own internationally-acclaimed standards

lubricant manufacturers; Century Oils, Wm. Penn Lubricants, Noxal Lubricants and National Oils in the early 1990s. Between them they covered every segment of the lubricants market, and they were merged to form FUCHS Lubricants South Africa located in Isando, Gauteng. “As the Company’s business grew, a second property was purchased which became the head office, a new, larger warehouse was erected, and the filling

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We continuously look for ways to improve our product quality and will invest in plants and equipment to meet these standards

plant was relocated to provide space for additional filling lines.” Creating a snowball effect, this in turn allowed for a major expansion of the Company’s oil blending facilities, and has subsequently been complemented by a series of smaller expansions and significant acquisitions like the one of high-quality specialty lubricant manufacturer, Lubritene. “The other major acquisition was of a company called Lubrasa, who manufactures food grade lubricants,” Launspach notes. “This growth necessitated the purchase of a third property behind our original plant, which is now the official head office of FUCHS Lubricants South Africa.” Since establishing the brand in the region, the focus has been not only on continuous improvement, but doing so in a way that is being smartly conveyed to a market potentially unaware of the benefits that FUCHS’ products can bring to their organisations; whether from a financial, energy, quality or

A brand name very much in the driving seat within the industry

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durability perspective. “Many of our prospective customers do not fully understand the benefits and financial savings of using products that are technically superior to much of the opposition,” Launspach explains. “As a result, our job is to educate potential customers, before converting them to the FUCHS product. “We continuously look for ways to improve our product quality and will invest in plant and equipment to meet

Continuously looking for ways to improve product quality

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these standards. We pride ourselves in the technical support we offer the customer and, were necessary, harness the support of the entire FUCHS group.”

The largest independent lubricants manufacturer

Having such flexibility and diversity within the business aids this effort in attaining new clients and partners, but also assists in dealing with

situations that are a little more out of the Company’s control in regards to industry fluctuations and challenges; or indeed in capitalising on sector opportunities. In recent times, one such opportunity has been brought to light within FUCHS’ OEM business, as Launspach details: “The most significant industry move over the last few years that we have experienced is our OEM business. While OEMs have always had a significant impact on the development and sales of lubricants, these OEMs are now pursuing lubricant sales outside of their regular business area, as a way of ensuring the right quality lubricants are used in their equipment, and as a means of generating additional income. “This is creating a new dynamic with our key OEM partnerships and it’s an exciting time.” The extent of capital expenditures required to facilitate this level of dynamism is epitomised by a series

FUCHS’ Titan Unimax Plus MC product

of enhancements witnessed across FUCHS Lubricants South Africa in recent years; kick-started by continuous upgrades and expansions of the Company’s laboratory, blending plant and filling plants, and supported by the subsequent attainment of ISO 9001:2008 accreditation across its operations.

“This gives you the assurance that the quality of our products always meet or exceed the required standards,” the Company says. “Over the past 10 years, FUCHS has been in a continual phase of upgrades, in terms of blending facilities, bulk storage capacity and technical upgrades,” Launspach continues. “Due to the introduction of higher quantities of Group II and synthetic base oils in our products, we have also had to expand our tank farm considerably, as well as expand our production facilities to include dedicated blending vessels for these products. “We have also expanded and equipped our in-house laboratory, in order to ensure that we are able to accurately monitor quality control of all products that we manufacture and conform to the highest standards in the industry.” Current investments in a new stateof-the-art grease plant which will be one of the largest and most advanced on the continent provide further evidence of not only FUCHS’ dedication to operational excellence, but a refusal to rest on its laurels as it continues to adhere to its ultimate goal of optimum expansion in Southern African markets. “FUCHS is the largest independent lubricants manufacturer in the world and we continue to aggressively grow our market share through significant investments into R&D and through acquisitions; based on our motto ‘Lubricants. Technology. People.’,” Launspach emphasises. The Company concludes: “FUCHS remains at the forefront of developing lubricants in cooperation with the world’s most innovative automotive and industrial OEMs that provide the enhanced levels of performance that are required. “This dedication to excellence is highlighted by the number of products within our extensive range of products that carry approvals from the world’s best known manufacturers.”

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Fuchs Johannesburg, 7 & 8 Diesel Street Kempton Park, Isando 1600 Johannesburg, South Africa T: +27 (0)11 565 9600 E: contact-za@fuchsoil.co.za