Lucas Oil Products, a global provider of heavy-duty and high-performance lubricants, has merged its New Zealand and Australian operations to form a more efficient distribution system.

The American oil company has given New Zealand-based Logan Distribution the rights to distribute its products in Australia, as well as the Kiwi market. This new deal became effective Jan. 1.

Bringing the two markets under a single distribution umbrella will provide a number of synergies and lead to better customer service and support, according to Rolf Wilson, general manager of Logan Distribution Ltd.

“The team at Lucas Oil has been impressed with our organizational and promotional abilities here in New Zealand and we have been in discussions with them about replicating that success in Australia,” said Wilson. “Our first task of the new trans-Tasman entity will be to streamline the company’s logistics and warehousing across the two markets to provide an improved flow of products.”

“Everything has now come together and starting in the Spring of 2018 we will be focusing our efforts on building a platform to take Lucas Oil Products and its road and race, tried and tested range of products to the next level in Australia, as well as continuing to develop the market in New Zealand. We are going to be running it as a single organization, with logistics for both sides of the Tasman working in unison,” added Wilson.

Logan Distribution in New Zealand is now based in Palmerston North and also has a major distribution center in Auckland and facilities covering the South Island. In Australia, the main distribution of Lucas Oil products will be carried out from Melbourne and an agreement has been signed with a new logistics provider to upgrade shipping around the rest of the country.

“We are very pleased with the merging of the New Zealand and Australian markets,” said Sam Dale, vice president, sales for Lucas Oil Products Inc. “Through Logan Distribution marketing expertise, we expect our visibility and market share to rise while cutting non-essential costs.”

Dale went on to say that, “The full range of Lucas Oil products will continue to be carried, although there will be an emphasis on the most popular lines. The first Lucas Oil success was Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer, this was quickly followed by three additional aftermarket products that are considered the core of Lucas Oil’s products today. They include Upper Cylinder Lubricant, which delivers a beneficial increase in fuel economy for both gasoline and diesel engines; Power Steering Stop Leak, developed to eliminate power steering system issues; and Lucas Transmission Fix to renew worn automatic transmissions and increase system life.”

Lucas Oil was founded by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas in 1989. Today, Lucas Oil Products Inc. considers itself a world leader in the production of high-performance lubricants and problem-solving additives and markets more than 270 formulations in 40 countries. Products include engine oils, greases, gear lubes, problem-solving additives and car care products. In the U.S., Lucas Oil is sold in more than 30,000 auto parts stores displaying the biggest variety of shelf products of any oil company, and at almost every truck stop nationwide.

Lucas Oil has two major plants in the U.S.: the original one in Corona, California, which also houses Lucas Oil Corporate Headquarters, Lucas Oil Production Studios, Team Lucas, Lucas Oil Racing TV and the MAVTV Motorsports Network, plus a state-of-the-art, 650,000-square-foot oil production facility in Corydon, Indiana.

Lucas Oil Products have been available in the Australian market for more than 20 years and was originally introduced to New Zealand 16 years ago.

Logan Distribution was founded by American speedway ace Ricky Logan, and is now co-owned and operated by prominent Manawatu businessman Bruce Roberson and speedway promoter Bryan Puklowski.