Venoco Lubricants International, Venezuela’s largest lubricants manufacturer, is expanding its product base in Jamaica and has introduced several new products to the market through its local
distributor Cool Lubes of Ocho Rios.
The new range of products for the local market including diesel lubricating oils, transmission oils, motor oils and power steering fluids, was introduced to several service station operators and other business interests at a session at the Ruins Restaurant in Ocho Rios recently.
Ken Jensen, Venoco’s technical advisor, flew into the island for the occasion to provide technical details on the products.
His visit to the island was part of the effort by Cool Lube and Venoco to try and penetrate a market that for years has been dominated by the three transnational corporations — Shell, Esso and Texaco.
Freddie March, managing director of Cool Lubes, expressed confidence in the Venoco brand of
lubricants saying his company’s investment would ultimately pay off.
“I think it (Venoco brand) will stand up eventually, as long as the customers start using it and they get confidence in it,” March told the Business Observer.
March conceded that his brand had far less name recognition than the competitors on the Jamaican market, but said that it was nevertheless doing well in western Jamaica.
“It’s a good product but because it doesn’t have a Shell name or Castrol name they (customers) don’t really know it,” he said. “But it’s doing well in St Ann, Trelawny, Montego Bay, all along the north coast. We sell quite a bit in those areas so it’s just a matter of introducing it in Kingston and we’re working now in Kingston,”
March said Venoco products would also be introduced to parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon and Manchester.
“I’d say in the next six months we should be able to cover the area. We’re expanding more and more and we’re adding new products here and there,” he stated
Two months ago Cool Lubes, which started as a lubricants distributor, expanded its distribution portfolio to include dozens of automotive-related small items such as battery terminals, bulbs, jacks, wiper blades, hose clamps, fuses, oil filters and other products.
Apart from the Venoco brand, Cool Lubes also distributes products on the Super-S brand such as gas and oil treatments, sealers and degreasers.
Cool Lubes is a part of the Cool Corporation enterprise owned by businessman Joe Issa.
Source: The Observer
