De la Pena Lubricants and the Shell acquisition

Citation

(1998), "De la Pena Lubricants and the Shell acquisition", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 50 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.1998.01850dab.012

De la Pena Lubricants and the Shell acquisition

De la Pena Lubricants and the Shell acquisition

Keywords: Mergers, Metalworking

Having acquired De la Pena just under two years ago, Gulf's ownership now passes to Shell as a result of their acquisition of Gulf's retail, distribution and marketing business.

While this may not be the biggest of the recent amalgamations it is surely one of the most significant for the metalworking market, bringing together as it does, the combined strengths of Shell ­ the world's biggest brand, Gulf ­ a leading player in cutting fluids and De la Pena ­ one of the UK's leading specialist watermix cutting fluid manufacturers.

"The news that Shell is committed to continuing De la Pena's role as a specialist is good news for the company and, I believe, good news for the industry", says Cliff Thrussell of De La Pena.

"Why? Because specialists cannot dominate markets through volume and pricing and are therefore committed to adding value, which in cutting fluids means providing excellence in both product development and service."

De la Pena will of course benefit from the huge technical resources of the Shell Oil Company, and I am sure that Shell will derive great benefit from a specialist watermix cutting fluid manufacturer that has established an enviable reputation for its very special products (901 is an industry byword) and very special service.

So, like the motorist and his petrol station, we do not expect De la Pena customers to be affected by the changes. Because that means it is business as usual at De la Pena, but with even more exciting prospects for its future with Shell.

For further information contact: Cliff Thrussell, De la Pena Lubricants, Racecourse Road, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2EY. Tel: 01386 552311; Fax: 01386 554775.