“Valvoline has the vision to build the world’s leading engine- and automotive-maintenance business,” said Sam Mitchell, CEO of Valvoline Inc. “We don’t have to be the biggest, but we are going to be the best.”
With those words, Mitchell dedicated the company’s new $35 million, 162,400-square-foot world headquarters, making official what is essentially the birth of a 150-year-old business and further rooting Valvoline as a vital and important corporate citizen of Lexington and Kentucky.
Mitchell was joined on a stage outside the state-of-the-art facility on Valvoline Way in Lexington, by Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and Commerce Lexington Board chair Carla Blanton.
Also attending were a host of representatives of Valvoline community partners including: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, Children’s Charity Classic of the Bluegrass, Fayette County Public Schools, Hope Center, Kentucky Educational Television, Lexington Habitat for Humanity, Lexington Leadership Foundation, Transylvania University and United Way of the Bluegrass.
Most of the approximately 650 employees at Valvoline World Headquarters were in the audience as well.
“Today is a great day for Valvoline,” said Mitchell afterward. “We officially dedicated our new headquarters, an amazing building that reflects our brand and our collaborative, innovative culture. But perhaps more important, it reflects our ongoing commitment to Kentucky and the communities we serve. We’re proud to call Lexington home.”
Gray said in a statement, “Valvoline’s decision to invest in our community sends a message around the world that Lexington is a great place to do business. Valvoline, which has called Lexington home for more than 30 years, is a great employer that gives back to our community.”
As a brand of premium lubricants, Valvoline has been headquartered in Lexington for more than 30 years. The company recently spun off from Ashland Global Holdings Inc. to become the latest standalone global company based in Fayette County. Valvoline employs about 5,500 people worldwide — with about 1,100 in Kentucky — in a variety of skilled, growth-oriented careers ranging from Valvoline Instant Oil Change technicians to corporate business professionals and supply chain specialists to research scientists and engineers.
