Domestic lubricant production for 60 years!

We started manufacture of lubricants in 1963, in Herttoniemi, Helsinki, and in 1992, the lubricant production was moved to specially built factory facilities in Hamina. Product development and high-quality products have been at the core from the beginning.

In the 1960s, driving and services for drivers developed significantly.

The purchase restriction on Western cars ended in Finland in 1962, and driving became a popular pastime for everyone. The number of cars quadrupled, reaching over 710,000 by the end of the 1960s. More gas stations were built than ever before, and their services became more diverse. The automotive technology also advanced, requiring more from lubricants.

The Herttoniemi factory started operating in 1963.

There was a demand for domestic production, and factors enabling the start of their own lubricant manufacturing operations included the manufacturing expertise within the company as well as good international relations with engine and additive manufacturers. In 1962, a blending plant, laboratory, and quality control station were completed in Herttoniemi, and lubricant production began the following year.

Relentless product development and quality control

The lubricants were managed by Gunnar Nikkanen, a respected figure in professional circles with over 30 years of experience in the oil industry. Assisting him in product development was engineer Terttu Sarpola, whose expertise and uncompromising attitude were respected from the beginning.

Production investments enabled growth.

In the early days of production, the production capacity was about 10,000 tons per year. As technology advanced, investments were made in the production plant every decade, enabling higher quality manufacturing, more efficient packaging lines, and larger storage facilities. In the 1980s, automation of the production process allowed the manufacturing capacity to increase to over 100,000 tons per year, making the Herttoniemi factory the largest lubricant production facility in Scandinavia.

The lubricant production was transferred to Hamina in 1992.

When the lease agreement with the City of Helsinki for the Herttoniemi oil harbor and storage area expired, the options were to either shut down our lubricant factory or relocate production elsewhere. As our own production, product development, and research work were considered important, a new location for the factory began to be sought. Hamina was chosen as the new location, among other reasons, because the company already had two warehouses in the city's oil harbor.

A new lubricant factory was commissioned in Hamina in 1992. The first batch of lubricant, 16,000 kilograms of Silver G, was produced at the new lubricant factory in Hamina on May 6, 1992.