Witham Group

What Witham Group does

Witham Group, the trading name of Witham Oil & Paint Ltd, is a privately owned, family-run UK manufacturer of industrial and commercial lubricants, oils, greases, paints and coatings, founded in 1921 in Lincoln as the Witham Oil & Candle Company. The company operates two sites — a head office and lubricant manufacturing plant on Outer Circle Road, Lincoln, and a distribution warehouse, trade shop and paint decorating centre in Soham, Cambridgeshire — with approximately 50 employees. It serves a diversified set of industrial verticals including agriculture, road haulage, marine, off-highway plant, manufacturing/heavy engineering, motorsport, country estates and horticulture, and self-describes as one of the largest independent lubricant manufacturers and paint suppliers in the UK.

Products are organized under three core brands: Qualube (engine oils, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases and specialty lubricants), Woco (decorative paints, industrial finishes, woodcare, marine and anti-fouling coatings) and Witham Motorsport (motorsport-specific lubricants). Adjacent lines include the Prolan rust-protection range, AdBlue and antifreeze/coolants. The company's notable technical asset is Blendtek, a proprietary blending method combining ultrasound technology with solar power to reduce gas and electricity consumption and enable carbon-neutral lubricant manufacturing; products are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and EELQMS/ACEA standards, and the firm holds a Royal Warrant (granted to HM The Queen in 1991, renewed by HM King Charles III in 2024).

The business model is product manufacturing and sales, executed through a multi-channel go-to-market: a field sales team covering the Midlands, Yorkshire and East of England; an own e-commerce storefront supported by an online Lubricant Finder tool; a walk-in trade shop at Soham; and an own-label/private-label manufacturing service. Revenue mechanics are transactional product sales spanning enterprise accounts (e.g., Sandringham Estate, Sanders Coaches, Premier Pits) and SMB/consumer buyers, supplemented by value-added services such as free technical lubricant surveys, bulk storage tanks and oil rationalisation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled via sales quotes.

Name

Witham Group

Legal name

Witham Oil & Paint Ltd

Website

https://withamgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UK family-owned manufacturer (founded 1921) of lubricants, oils, greases, paints and coatings under the Qualube, Woco and Witham Motorsport brands, serving agriculture, haulage, marine, plant, motorsport and estate customers across the UK and abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lubricants and Paints Manufacturing

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing (324191)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Aftermarket Fluids, Lubricants & Chemical Products Manufacturing (Oils/Coolants/Additives/Cleaners) (IMACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging, Filling & Private Label / Contract Manufacturing (EUALAJAD), Packaging & Can Coatings (IMAEAGAF)

Keywords

• Industrial lubricants
• Paint manufacturing
• Rust prevention coatings
• Automotive fluids
• Private label manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Lubricant Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and sells a wide range of commercial and industrial lubricants, oils, and greases under the Qualube brand. Products include engine lubricants, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, and specialty lubricants for various sectors.
2. Paint and Coatings Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and sells paints and coatings under the Woco brand including decorative paints, industrial finishes, woodcare products, marine paints, and specialist coatings.
3. Own Label Service: Offers private label/own brand manufacturing service for customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Witham Group manufactures and supplies a wide range of commercial and industrial lubricants, oils, greases, paints and coatings from its sites in Lincoln and Soham under the Qualube (lubricants), Woco (paints and coatings) and Witham Motorsport brands. The company also offers an own-label / private-label contract manufacturing service, allowing other businesses to sell Witham-formulated products under their own brand.

Product overview

Witham Group is a manufacturer of industrial lubricants, greases, paints, and coatings operating two UK sites in Lincoln and Soham, Cambridgeshire. The company produces three core product brands: Qualube Lubricants & Greases (covering engine oils, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, and specialty lubricants across agricultural, automotive, commercial, marine, and industrial sectors), Woco Paints & Coatings (industrial and decorative paints, floor coatings, marine paints, woodcare, and specialist coatings), and Motorsport Lubricants (specialized products for motorsport applications). Additional offerings include AdBlue, antifreeze/coolants, and the Prolan rust protection range. The company also provides services including an online Lubricant Finder tool and own-label manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qualube: Lubricants and greases brand for automotive, commercial and agricultural applications
• Woco
• Witham Motorsport

Products and services

• Qualube Lubricants & Greases Comprehensive range of commercial and industrial lubricants and greases covering engine oils, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, brake fluids and specialty lubricants for agriculture, automotive, commercial vehicles, marine, horticulture and plant/off-road sectors.
• Woco Paints & Coatings Industrial and decorative paints and coatings including barn paint, floor paints, industrial finishes, marine paints, anti-fouling coatings, woodcare products, specialist paints and thinners for agricultural, automotive, commercial, marine and residential applications.
• Witham Motorsport Lubricants Specialised lubricant products for motorsport applications, supporting stockists, distributors, car clubs, engine builders, drivers, race teams and workshop garages across the UK.
• Prolan Protective Lubricants Rust protection and preventive maintenance lubricants available in light, medium, heavy, extreme and marine formulations for asset preservation across industrial, agricultural and marine environments.
• AdBlue Diesel Exhaust Fluid Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF/AdBlue) for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in diesel vehicles, used to reduce NOx emissions in commercial and passenger diesel fleets.
• Antifreeze & Coolants Engine coolant and antifreeze products including concentrated coolants, general-purpose coolants, pre-mixed coolants and non-automotive biodegradable options for automotive, commercial and industrial applications.
• Own Label / Private Label Manufacturing Service Contract manufacturing service allowing distributors, resellers and brand owners to offer Witham Group-formulated lubricants and paints under their own brand name, leveraging the company's EELQMS-conformant manufacturing and formulation capability.
• Bulk Storage Tank Supply Supply and installation of bulk lubricant storage tanks for commercial workshops and fleet operators to enable cleaner, more efficient on-site oil storage and handling.
• Free Technical Lubricant Surveys Complimentary on-site technical survey service in which Witham engineers review a customer's lubricant usage and recommend rationalised product selections to reduce complexity and cost.
• Paint Colour Matching Service Custom paint colour matching service that produces Woco paints matched to a customer-specified colour for decorative, industrial or restoration applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon neutral blending process significantly reduces gas and electricity energy consumption compared to traditional manufacturing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Kingdom Lubricant Association (UKLA)coreOthersActs as the voice of the UK lubricants industry providing members with advice on legislation, monitoring government proposals and lobbying for improvements. Witham Group MD Nigel Bottom is VP of UKLA Board of Directors and previous President.
• Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS)coreOthersIndependent organization providing credible and trusted means to verify lubricant specifications. Brings transparency to the market and protects end users. Nigel Bottom is a Board Director.
• ATIELminorOthersTechnical association of the European lubricants industry with Code of Practice for developers and marketers of engine lubricants meeting European performance specifications.
• Union of the European Lubricant Industry (UEIL)minorOthersUmbrella association representing European lubricant industry, particularly SMEs and independent companies. Nigel Bottom is past Chairman of the UEIL Technical Committee.
• British Coatings FederationminorOthersSupports the paint industry in reducing regulation cost, enhancing competitiveness, promoting exports and stimulating sustainable innovation.
• The Green Tractor SchememinorOthersUK-based not-for-profit initiative improving recycling of agricultural plastics through collection, recycling and quality improvement of recycled plastics used in farming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Morris Lubricants: Shrewsbury-based UK independent lubricant manufacturer founded in 1869, producing a comparable range of automotive, commercial, agricultural, and industrial lubricants and greases. Closest direct UK peer with similar independent family-business model, product breadth, and customer segments.
• Comma Oil & Chemicals: UK-based independent lubricant and chemical additive manufacturer serving automotive aftermarket, commercial vehicles, and motorsport. Comparable product portfolio covering engine oils, transmission fluids, and ancillary fluids with similar mid-market positioning.
• Hempel: Global coatings manufacturer specializing in marine, protective, and decorative paints — directly comparable to Witham's Woco marine, industrial, and decorative coatings range. Peer in the paint/coatings half of Witham's product portfolio.
• Crown Paints: UK-based paint manufacturer producing decorative, industrial, and trade paints. Closest UK direct peer in the Woco paints/coatings business, with overlapping trade, agricultural, and decorative customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• FUCHS Petrolub: Germany-based global independent lubricant manufacturer operating across industrial, automotive, and specialty lubricant segments. Comparable independent lubricant heritage and broad product range, but at vastly larger scale with international manufacturing footprint.
• Castrol: BP-owned global lubricant brand with deep presence in automotive, marine, industrial, and energy lubricants. Represents the multinational incumbent competitor whose OEM relationships, marketing budgets, and global distribution Witham competes against in overlapping verticals.
• Shell Lubricants: World's largest lubricant marketer by volume, offering engine oils, hydraulic fluids, greases, and specialty lubricants across automotive, industrial, marine, and motorsport. The dominant scale competitor against which Witham's UK independent proposition must differentiate.
• TotalEnergies Lubricants: Major integrated oil major lubricant division serving automotive, industrial, and marine sectors with full global distribution. Comparable product breadth in lubricants but with materially greater R&D and supply-chain integration.

Emerging players

• Ravenol: German independent lubricant specialist with growing motorsport and automotive aftermarket presence across Europe. Comparable mid-sized independent positioning, premium technical product focus, and motorsport vertical specialization that overlaps with Witham Motorsport.
• Motul: French independent lubricant manufacturer specializing in synthetic motor oils and motorsport applications. Comparable specialty/motorsport positioning, mid-sized independent structure, and premium aftermarket brand identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/withamgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/Withamgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/withamgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/withamgroup

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Witham Group