zMAX

What zMAX does

zMAX is a privately held consumer brand of micro-lubricant chemicals owned by Oil-Chem Research Corp., a company with roots traced to 1936 and headquartered in Concord, North Carolina. The company's core technology is a proprietary micro-lubricant formulation designed to penetrate metal surfaces at the microscopic level, disperse carbon build-up, reduce wear, and extend component life across gasoline and diesel engines, transmissions, and fuel systems. The product catalog spans eight end-verticals served from a single Shopify storefront: automotive (engine, fuel, and transmission treatments plus an appearance line), firearms (bore cleaners, bolt lubes, care kits), heavy-duty diesel, small engine (2- and 4-cycle), aviation (AVBLEND), aerosols and appearance, racing oils (0w5 through 20w50 in retail and 5-gallon bulk), and power sports/V-Twin motorcycle oils.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model at store.zmax.com as the primary commercial surface, supplemented by a 'Find a Store' retail locator and NASCAR speedway trackside partnerships at 11 affiliated venues (Charlotte, Atlanta, Bristol, Texas, Las Vegas, Dover, Kentucky, Nashville, New Hampshire, North Wilkesboro, Sonoma) that double as marketing and enthusiast distribution channels. Pricing is low-ticket, with individual SKUs ranging from $4.56 to $250.75, a $39.99 Special TV Offer bundle driving direct response, and a Subscribe and Save program at $29.99 introducing a recurring revenue layer on core Engine and Fuel Formulas. A wholesale tier (CARS Tour Wholesale Login) and apparel category suggest early moves into B2B/merch adjacency. The company has no disclosed revenue, no institutional funding, and operates with 11-50 employees per firmographics, with no public management team listed.

Name

zMAX

Legal name

Oil-Chem Research Corp.

Website

https://store.zmax.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Lubricants

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Fuel Additives & Lubricant Additives (IMAEAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive Lubricants & Fluids (IMAEAMAA), Aftermarket Fluids, Lubricants & Chemical Products Manufacturing (Oils/Coolants/Additives/Cleaners) (IMACANAK), Lubricant Additives & Performance Chemicals (EUALAJAB), Automotive Lubricants (PCMO, HDMO, ATF, Gear Oils, Coolants) (EUALAJAH), Industrial & Heavy-Duty Lubricants (IMAEAMAB)

Keywords

• Automotive lubricants
• Engine treatments
• Fuel additives
• Transmission fluids
• Firearm care products

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through owned e-commerce storefront (store.zmax.com) across multiple product categories including automotive, firearms, heavy duty, small engine, aviation, and racing oils. One-time purchase model with subscription option for select products.
2. Subscription / Recurring Revenue: Subscribe and Save program offering recurring delivery of products like Engine and Fuel Formulas at discounted subscription pricing ($29.99 vs $36.20 regular).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

zMAX manufactures and sells a line of micro-lubricant treatment products designed to be added to engines, fuel systems, and transmissions to reduce wear and improve performance. The portfolio extends beyond automotive to include racing-specific oils, firearm lubrication and cleaning products, aerosol penetrating/lubricating sprays, and small-engine formulas for outdoor power equipment.

Product overview

zMAX is a micro-lubricant product line by Oil-Chem Research Corp. The company's core product is the zMAX Micro-lubricant® system, which includes Engine Formula, Fuel Formula, and Transmission Formula treatments designed to disperse carbon buildup, reduce wear, improve performance, extend engine life, and reduce emissions in gasoline and diesel engines. The product portfolio spans multiple categories: Automotive (engine/fuel/transmission treatments, appearance products), Firearms (bore cleaners, bolt lubes, care kits), Heavy Duty (diesel engine treatments), Small Engine (2-cycle and 4-cycle formulas), Aviation (AVBLEND for aircraft), Aerosols/Appearance (multi-use lubes, degreasers, silicone sprays), Racing Oil (0w5, 10w30, 15w50, 20w50 viscosity oils in various sizes including bulk 5-gallon pails), and Power Sports (V-twin motorcycle oils, wet clutch additives, shock fluids). The company also offers bundled offerings like the Special TV Offer and subscription options. Products are sold through the zMAX Online Store powered by Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• zMAX Engine Treatment Micro-lubricant engine oil additive formulated to reduce internal engine wear and extend engine life; for car, truck, and SUV owners performing periodic engine maintenance.
• zMAX Fuel Treatment Fuel-system additive designed to clean injectors, valves, and combustion chambers while adding micro-lubricant protection to fuel-system components.
• zMAX Transmission Treatment Automatic transmission additive that cleans and lubricates internal transmission components to reduce wear and improve shifting performance.
• zMAX Racing Oil Specialty high-performance engine oils formulated for racing and high-stress applications, marketed to race teams and motorsports enthusiasts.
• zMAX Firearm Care Products Cleaning, lubricating, and protectant products for firearms, targeted at sport shooters, hunters, and firearm hobbyists.
• zMAX Aerosol Lubricants Spray-applied penetrating lubricants and protectants for general household, automotive, and equipment use.
• zMAX Small Engine Formula Treatment products formulated for lawn mowers, chain saws, generators, and other small two-stroke and four-stroke engines to reduce wear and improve starting reliability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improves fuel mileage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Atlanta Motor SpeedwaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor providing brand visibility at NASCAR racing events and merchandise/promotional opportunities at the track
• Bristol Motor SpeedwaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor providing brand visibility at NASCAR racing events
• Charlotte Motor SpeedwaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor racing partner providing extensive brand exposure at one of NASCAR's premier tracks
• Dover Motor SpeedwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor at NASCAR venue
• Kentucky SpeedwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor at NASCAR venue
• Las Vegas Motor SpeedwaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor providing West Coast racing exposure
• Nashville SuperspeedwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor at NASCAR venue
• New Hampshire Motor SpeedwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner/sponsor at NASCAR venue
• North Wilkesboro SpeedwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHistoric racing partner with brand visibility at vintage/short track racing events
• Sonoma RacewayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoad racing partner providing exposure at California's technical racing circuit
• Texas Motor SpeedwaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor racing partner at one of NASCAR's largest oval tracks

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lucas Oil Products: Lucas Oil is the closest direct peer — a privately held, motorsports-anchored brand selling fuel additives, engine treatments, racing oils, and a broad automotive chemical line through DTC and retail. It competes head-to-head with zMAX in racing oils and micro-lubricant/additive SKUs.
• Sea Foam Sales Company: Sea Foam is a direct peer in the fuel/oil additive category with a comparable DTC + retail model, multi-decade brand history, and a flagship catch-all additive product functionally similar to zMAX Engine/Fuel Formulas.
• Marvel Mystery Oil: Marvel Mystery Oil is a long-established direct competitor in engine/fuel additives, distributed through mass retail and DTC; the products target the same consumer use case (carbon dispersal, engine cleaning) as zMAX Engine and Fuel Formulas.
• Rislone: Rislone is a direct peer producing engine, fuel, and transmission treatments plus specialty chemical SKUs for the DIY automotive consumer; its product mix and channels closely mirror zMAX's engine/fuel/transmission treatment line.
• BG Products: BG Products is a direct peer in automotive fluid additives and lubrication products, focused on engine, fuel, transmission, and power-steering treatments, with both professional and consumer channels overlapping zMAX's positioning.
• Bar's Leaks: Bar's Leaks is a direct peer in specialty automotive chemical products, with a comparable portfolio of cooling-system, oil, fuel, and transmission treatments sold through retail and DTC channels similar to zMAX's aftermarket range.
• Red Line Oil: Red Line Oil is a direct peer in the synthetic racing/motorsports lubricant category — racing oils, gear oils, and transmission fluids that compete directly with zMAX's Racing Oil, V-Twin, and motorcycle SKUs.
• Motul: Motul is a direct peer in high-performance and racing lubricants, including 0W/5W racing oils, motorcycle and powersports fluids, and automotive engine treatments that overlap zMAX's Racing Oil and Power Sports categories.
• Royal Purple (Calumet Specialty Products): Royal Purple is a direct peer in high-performance synthetic motor oils and lubricant additives targeting automotive enthusiasts and motorsports — directly comparable to zMAX's premium additive narrative and racing-oil SKUs.

Broad incumbents

• Valvoline: Valvoline is a broad incumbent in automotive lubricants and fluid additives with deep retail and service-center distribution; while much larger, its additive/Aftermarket portfolio overlaps zMAX's consumer engine and fuel treatment line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zMAXformula
• Facebookfacebook.com/zmaxformula

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 zMAX