U.S. Distributor Newsletter
Letter from Brent Alexander
Dear distributors,
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in on a distributor training session led by a few of our team members, and a couple of things stood out to me:
Despite familiarity of many of the topics, getting back to the basics and discussing what makes our products work and how to communicate our story always generates a lot of good insights. I loved hearing what’s working in the field, what the struggles are and how folks overcome the issues.
Second, and maybe more importantly, was the reminder of how critical teamwork and face-to-face meetings are to our shared success. The energy was terrific, and we had a range of folks in the room — some who’ve sold lubricants for over 35 years, and some who are just over two months in. The new folks had some great questions, which led to discussions that probably gave the seasoned veterans some new ideas as well. It was great to be able to listen, share ideas and put action items in place.
Teamwork is one of the five core cultural values at HF Sinclair, and I can’t think of a better example of teamwork than this training. Internally, our team worked together to develop an impactful session that led to the mutual sharing of ideas. Our plans to look for new opportunities reminded me of the collaboration that we continue to strengthen with you every day. Work with your District Sales Managers and Technical Sales Advisors to discuss how we can support you in the development of your 2025 targets and beyond!
Thank you for all your support and I look forward to seeing many of you soon to celebrate 25 years of Petro-Canada Lubricants and our mutual success.
Brent Alexander
West Region Manager | Sales
New Market Insights Function
HF Sinclair’s Lubricants & Specialties business has established a new Market Insights function to enhance understanding and responsiveness to evolving business needs. This function will assess diverse market opportunities for new and existing Petro-Canada Lubricants products, along with our other commercial brands, and explore emerging geographic markets. Collaborating closely with the Global Marketing and New Business Development teams, the Market Insights function will play a pivotal role in various initiatives. Leading this function is Dave Brady, a seasoned professional with over 35 years of experience in consumer and market insights. Dave has held similar leadership positions at leading CPG and market research firms such as Reckitt Benckiser and Nielsen, overseeing teams across Canada, the United States and internationally. His leadership will be instrumental in achieving the primary goal of the Market Insights function, which is to share the findings of these initiatives. In the coming months, he will communicate the outcomes of the different initiatives relevant to the U.S. market through this newsletter.
LinkedIn Guide One-Pager
Following the launch of our Growing Your Business Presence with LinkedIn Guide, we are excited to share a one-pager sell sheet. This will help you to reinforce the benefits of using LinkedIn for business with your employees and encourage engagement with our content.
In today’s digital age, LinkedIn has emerged as an essential platform for professionals and businesses to connect, engage and expand their networks.
Key features of the document include:
- Why is LinkedIn important?
- What is advocacy and its role in brand visibility?
- Our brand pages and links to join them for great content
Download it now so you can always have this information at your fingertips!
GMRC Update
GMRC 2024 in Tampa, Florida, has been canceled due to Hurricane Milton. The conference will be rescheduled and new dates will be provided as soon as possible. Please visit our trade show page for updates on GMRC.
Blue Hydraulic Oil Dye Now Available in New Packaging
In applications such as oil leak tracing and sight glass reading, Petro-Canada Lubricants Blue Hydraulic Oil Dye is used as an addition to petroleum-based hydraulic oils at the recommended treat rate.
Maximum recommended addition: 228 mL (1/2 bottle) per 205 liter drum. Mix well by agitating the oil container.
Blue Hydraulic Oil Dye is packaged in 455 mL glass bottles with an updated label design. The Petro-Canada Lubricants SKU is HYDYEBCMC – 24 x 455 mL bottles supplied per carton.
For more information on Blue Hydraulic Oil Dye, refer to our Tech Bulletin or contact Josh Jacob, Category Manager, and/or Samantha Mancini, Category Specialist.
MINExpo 2024
MINExpo 2024 has wrapped, and what a show it was! It's clear that safety, efficiency, reliability and profitability are top priorities for mine operators — and we're thrilled that PRODURO™, DURON™ and our specialty greases are helping to meet these crucial needs.
We were excited about the opportunity to record an episode of Mining Now at our booth featuring Brian Schmidt and Behshad Sabah. They discussed how AI-driven maintenance and next-gen lubricants are not just saving costs but also redefining the future of mining, leading to longer-lasting equipment, boosted EV performance and ultra-low zinc tech.
A heartfelt thank you to all who stopped by our booth. Your engagement and feedback help fuel our drive for continuous improvement and innovation. Click here to view some great photos from the show!
Missed us at the expo? Connect with us and explore how our solutions can benefit your operations.
2024 Oil Sands Charity Golf Classic
Team members from Marketing and Technology traveled to Fort McMurray for a fantastic week with the Energy Sales Team and our customers in the Oil Sands. Additionally, Petro-Canada Lubricants had the pleasure of being the Women’s Long Drive Hole Sponsor for the 2024 Oil Sands Charity Golf Classic at Miskanaw Golf Club. The tournament supported the Wood Buffalo Food Bank.
Tech Tip
Air Compressor Oil Conversion Solutions
Recently, we have seen an increase in inquiries about air compressor oil conversion solutions, and we have a number of products for cleaning and service!
A customer may want to replace their current air compressor oil for a variety of reasons. When encouraging them to try our Air Compressor Lubricants, it is always a good practice to consider the following tips before conversion:
- Ask for Oil Analysis reports to identify and verify the state of current oil and equipment.
- If possible, get seal material information.
- For an easy and safe cleaning, consider Petro-Canada Lubricants COMPRO™ E Compressor Fluids as compressor cleaner and flushing fluid. It can be used as the ester-based fluid since it has strong solvency that cleans oxidatively fouled systems. COMPRO™ E can also be used as a flushing fluid when converting between two incompatible fluid types. Be sure to match the COMPRO™ E viscosity grade to the normal. This process is recommended to prevent product and chemical (different additive systems) incompatibility that could potentially create issues at the compressor.
When charging the air compressor with the new lubricant, take samples at 250 hours of operation of the first 500 hours to confirm that lube transition and conversion is not experiencing issues in the equipment. Also, it helps to generate the oil analysis base line. Subsequent samples should be taken at every 500 hours as part of consistent lubricant and equipment monitoring.
For more information, contact your Technical Services Advisor.
DSR Incentive Winners
Rocky Mountain District
Carla Carden from Crus Oil. Carla is a seasoned industry veteran with success closing deals for Petro-Canada Lubricants. Most recently, Carla closed a deal with a local water company with large natural gas engines. Carla worked with the customer and Technical Service Advisor Lyle Hoffman on a deal that will require roughly 5,000 gallons per year of SENTRONTM LD 5000. Great work, Carla and Team!
Northwest District
Juan Godinez of Co-Energy. Juan is a seasoned sales professional who works hard for Co-Energy and his customers. He is persistent, sells on value and provides solutions. He is an advocate for the Petro-Canada Lubricants brand and relies on the ongoing training and value of our products to close new business. His most recent win is a large juice plant in Washington State. They have two locations and will require up to 15,000 gallons of product per year. This is a large account that took a lot of time to win over. Juan built trust and used his knowledge from past Petro-Canada Lubricants training to demonstrate the value of our food grade lubricants and individually converted the customer. Wins like these are tough, but well worth it! Hats off to you and Co-Energy on another great win, Juan!
Mid-Atlantic District
Dave Jones of Burch Oil. Dave is dedicated and diligent when it comes to advancing Petro-Canada Lubricants products. He generates new direct business in Maryland and visits our national account customers, demonstrating a commitment to superior service. We would like to thank Burch Oil for their ongoing efforts in promoting Petro-Canada Lubricants. Their dedication and hard work are integral to our collective success. We look forward to many more successes together!
Upper Midwest District
Greg Durecki of Cole Oil. His hard work the past few months prospecting has paid off and he recently landed a large county municipality that will use all Petro-Canada Lubricants products. It’s a great win! Thank you, Greg!