A merging of two great traditions

Citation

(2000), "A merging of two great traditions", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 52 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2000.01852fab.002

A merging of two great traditions

A merging of two great traditions

Keywords: Stuart Oil, Mergers

Two specialist lubricant manufacturers – who both started trading in 1865 – have merged to form one of the largest independent specialist lubricant companies in the UK.

DA Stuart Oil Co. Limited of Wolverhampton has acquired Smallman Lubricants Limited of West Bromwich, for an undisclosed sum, to create an organisation able to provide a comprehensive industrial and automotive lubricants supply and service throughout the UK.

"It is a merging of two great traditions that establishes a new force in Britain for the production and supply of specialised lubricants," said Fred Jones, managing director of DA Stuart.

Guy Smallman, managing director of his family business, said: "Our joint product ranges and customer bases are incredibly complementary. Bringing together our two technical support services, including Research & Development and Recycling, creates a platform that will enable us to provide additional services to meet customer needs."

The combined companies have annual sales approaching £15 million and a total workforce of 150.

Guy Smallman, who is sales and marketing director of the enlarged DA Stuart, added: "We will be looking to consolidate production on the Wolverhampton site by 2001 but for the time being it is strictly business as usual for both arms of this new organisation."

Smallman is a family business and Guy's brother, Sam, also joins the DA Stuart organisation as operations director. Their father, Tim, has retired as chairman of the Smallman company.

DA Stuart has recently expanded and is about to begin work on a further expansion of the Lincoln Street site in Wolverhampton. This is expected to be completed by the middle of next year and will provide the unified production for the expanded operation. The expansion will more than double the total production area with additional storage facilities and a new laboratory and office complex.

In recent years DA Stuart has made significant capital investment creating a new blending plant and raw materials and finished product warehousing.

Guy Smallman added: "Lubricant technology is highly complex and the necessary research is far more effectively met as a combined operation. This will allow us to further develop our products and brands."

DA Stuart Oil Co. Limited is part of the DA Stuart Group of companies located in the UK, USA, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina with sales offices in Malaysia, Poland and India and is represented by agents, distributors and licensees in other major industrial regions of the world.

The DA Stuart Group is a global supplier of speciality metalworking chemicals and lubricants to the steel finishing, automotive, can manufacturing and aluminium industries.

For further information contact David Jukes, director, Tel: +44 1902 877600.