What United Lubricants does

United Lubricants is a U.S. lubricant manufacturer and brand operating a comprehensive portfolio of engine oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic oils, industrial gear and compressor oils, greases, and coolant/antifreeze products for heavy-duty and light-duty applications. The brand traces its market history back over 75 years and is currently wholly owned by GROWMARK, Inc., an Illinois agricultural cooperative that acquired the Council Bluffs, Iowa manufacturing facility in 2006 and has blended and marketed the United Lubricants product line since then. Manufacturing is performed at the GROWMARK Lubricants facility in Council Bluffs, which is ISO 9001 certified, operates an on-site laboratory that tests products at every stage of blending (with one product reportedly tested up to 10 times before release), and includes on-site solubilization of viscosity index improvers with dedicated cross-contamination-prevention piping. The catalog spans diesel and gasoline engine oils (including API SP and ILSAC GF-6-compliant passenger car motor oils), specialty engine oils, automotive gear oils, transmission fluids (ATF, TO-4, manual transmission, tractor hydraulic), synthetic, zinc-free, arctic-grade, and biodegradable hydraulic oils, industrial gear and compressor oils with up to 8,000-hour drain intervals, lithium complex and molybdenum disulfide greases, and fully formulated, OAT, and NOAT coolants targeting up to 1,000,000-mile on-road service life.

The company serves agriculture, construction and excavating, trucking, manufacturing, concrete, waste management, transit, and railroad end markets, with named product compliance for LMOA Generation 7 locomotive specifications (EPA Tier 4) and Allison TES 668 severe-duty ATF. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales priced by unit (drums, totes, bulk) at distributor discretion, with no disclosed public pricing. The go-to-market is exclusively indirect: products flow through approximately 30+ regional distributors in the Midwest (including GROWMARK-affiliated co-ops) supported by a "Become a Distributor" program, technical sales training, marketing collateral, the LubeAdvisor product-selection tool, and a Used Oil Analysis condition-monitoring service. Customers are reached through the GROWMARK System, which spans more than 40 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada, providing structural distribution reach beyond the United Lubricants brand's own footprint.

Name

United Lubricants

Legal name

GROWMARK, Inc.

Website

https://unitedlubes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Lubricants is a GROWMARK-owned lubricant brand manufacturing engine oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic oils, greases, and coolants at a Council Bluffs, Iowa facility for distribution through ~30+ Midwest regional distributors serving agriculture, trucking, construction, industrial, and railroad end markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lubricants

NAICS

Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing (324191)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Lubricant Formulation & Blending (Finished Lubricants) (EUALAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Heavy-Duty Lubricants (IMAEAMAB), Automotive Lubricants & Fluids (IMAEAMAA), Greases & Specialty Lubricants (Greases, Pastes, Chain Oils, Silicone/Fluoro) (EUALAJAJ), Gear Oils & Transmission Fluids (IMAEAMAE), Retail & E-commerce Lubricants Sales (Auto Parts, Quick Lube, Online) (EUALAJAF), Lubricant Additives & Performance Chemicals (EUALAJAB)

Keywords

• Industrial lubricants
• Engine oils
• Hydraulic fluids
• Transmission fluids
• Coolant antifreeze

Headquarters

HQ city

Council Bluffs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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 Product Sales: United Lubricants generates revenue through the sale of lubricants, coolants, and grease products to customers through a distributor network. Products are sold in various packaging sizes including drums, totes, and bulk quantities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

United Lubricants manufactures and sells a comprehensive portfolio of industrial and automotive lubricants, greases, and coolants — including engine oils, hydraulic oils, transmission fluids, gear oils, compressor oils, greases, and antifreeze — at the GROWMARK-owned facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Products are distributed exclusively through a network of regional distributors and dealers serving agriculture, construction, trucking, manufacturing, transit, and railroad customers across the Midwest and beyond. Supporting services include the LubeAdvisor product selection tool and Used Oil Analysis condition monitoring.

Product overview

United Lubricants is a lubricant manufacturing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of oils, greases, and coolants for automotive, agricultural, construction, industrial, and heavy-duty applications. The product portfolio includes diesel and gasoline engine oils, hydraulic oils (synthetic, zinc-free, arctic-grade, biodegradable), transmission fluids (ATF, TO-4, tractor fluids, manual transmission oils), industrial gear oils, compressor oils, greases (lithium complex, molybdenum disulfide, polyurea), coolants/antifreeze (OAT, NOAT, fully formulated), and industrial fluids. Products are manufactured at the GROWMARK facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Key product lines include United Syn Hydraulic XT, United Extended Life OAT Coolants, United Max Grease line, and United Synthetic transmission fluids. The company also provides LubeAdvisor product selection tool and Used Oil Analysis condition monitoring services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diesel Engine Oil Engine oils formulated for diesel-powered vehicles and equipment, providing wear protection, oxidation stability, and performance under heavy-duty conditions for trucking, agriculture, construction, and railroad applications.
• Gasoline Engine Oil Engine oils designed for gasoline-powered passenger cars and light-duty trucks, meeting API SP and ILSAC GF-6 specifications for modern engines with GDI and turbocharged technologies.
• Transmission Fluid Automatic and manual transmission fluids including ATF, tractor transmission fluids, and TO-4 fluids for heavy-duty equipment and over-the-road trucks.
• Hydraulic Oil Full range of hydraulic oils including synthetic, anti-varnish, zinc-free, arctic-grade, and biodegradable formulations for mobile and stationary hydraulic systems in construction, agriculture, and industrial applications.
• Industrial Gear Oil Extreme pressure gear oils for industrial gearboxes including synthetic and mineral-based options in various ISO viscosity grades for bevel, herringbone, planetary, and spur gears.
• Industrial Compressor Oil Lubricants for rotary screw, reciprocating, and vane air compressors including synthetic and ester-based formulations with extended drain intervals up to 8,000 hours.
• Grease and Aerosols Multi-purpose and specialty greases including lithium complex, molybdenum disulfide fortified, and polyurea thickeners for various industrial, automotive, construction, and mining applications.
• Industrial Fluids Specialized industrial lubricants including way oils, spindle oils, rock drill oils, cutting oils, heat transfer oils, and rust preventatives for manufacturing operations.
• Coolants/Antifreeze Engine coolants including fully formulated, extended life OAT, and NOAT technologies in concentrate and pre-diluted forms for heavy-duty and light-duty applications.
• Specialty Engine Oil Specialized engine oils for specific applications beyond standard diesel or gasoline engine requirements, including railroad and other niche heavy-duty uses.
• Automotive Gear Oils Gear lubricants for automotive differentials, manual transmissions, and other gear applications requiring extreme pressure (EP) protection.
• United Syn Hydraulic XT Full synthetic, anti-wear hydraulic oil formulated for all-season performance in extreme conditions. Available in ISO 32, 46, and 68 grades for construction and forestry applications.
• United Railroad Engine Oil SAE 20W-40 Railroad engine oil compliant with LMOA Generation 7 specifications for Tier 4 emissions regulations, with TBN of 11.0 for acid control and compatibility with low and ultra-low sulfur fuels.
• United Red Max Grease NLGI No. 2 Premium lithium complex grease with the heaviest base oil in the United Max line and a high dropping point of 500°F, ensuring retention in high-temperature conditions.
• United Syn Trans 40 & 50 Full-synthetic manual transmission oils for severe service in heavy-duty manual transmissions, rated for up to 500,000-mile service life.
• LubeAdvisor Product selection tool designed to help customers identify the right United Lubricants oil, coolant, or grease product for their specific application, with direction to local distributors via Find a Retailer.
• Used Oil Analysis Condition monitoring service provided through GROWMARK to help customers maximize benefits from United Lubricants products, reduce downtime, identify wear early, extend equipment life, reduce oil changes, and reduce labor costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• One product can be tested up to 10 times before leaving the facility
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GROWMARK, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006GROWMARK is the parent company and manufacturer of United Lubricants products. GROWMARK purchased the lubricants manufacturing facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa in 2006 and has been blending and marketing the United Lubricants product line since then. GROWMARK is an agricultural cooperative providing agronomy, energy, facility planning, and logistics products and services in more than 40 states and Ontario, Canada.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schaeffer Manufacturing: St. Louis-based independent specialty lubricant manufacturer with a comparable focus on heavy-duty, agricultural, and industrial markets, plus custom blending and a direct/distributor hybrid GTM. Closest comparable in scale, ownership structure (private/independent), and end-market emphasis.
• Valvoline: Independent U.S. lubricant brand and quick-lube operator offering a broad product line of motor oils, transmission fluids, and gear oils, with strong distribution through both retail and commercial channels. Comparable private-company heritage and product breadth.
• Lucas Oil: Independent specialty lubricant and additive manufacturer with strong brand recognition in automotive, heavy-duty, and racing markets. Comparable privately held, specialty-positioned competitor focused on performance lubricants and additives.

Regional players

• Cenex (CHS Inc.): Energy and agronomy division of CHS, the largest U.S. agricultural cooperative, distributing Cenex-branded fuels and lubricants across the Upper Midwest. Most analogous cooperative-owned lubricant-distribution competitor to United Lubricants' GROWMARK-backed model.
• MFA Oil: Missouri-based farmer-owned cooperative that markets petroleum products, including lubricants, primarily across rural Midwest. Similar cooperative-ownership DNA to United Lubricants (via GROWMARK) and overlapping agricultural customer base in adjacent Midwestern states.

Broad incumbents

• Shell Lubricants (Shell Rotella, Pennzoil): One of the world's largest lubricant marketers with a major presence in heavy-duty diesel engine oils (Rotella) and passenger car motor oils (Pennzoil). Competes with United Lubricants across the trucking, agriculture, and industrial segments.
• Phillips 66 Lubricants: Major petroleum refiner with a dedicated lubricants portfolio (Kendall, 76 Lubricants, Phillips 66) serving commercial fleets, industrial, and agricultural customers. Competes with United Lubricants across heavy-duty engine oils, hydraulic fluids, and transmission products via broad distributor networks.
• Chevron Lubricants (Delo, Havoline): Major oil major with the Delo heavy-duty engine oil franchise widely used in trucking and construction, alongside Havoline for passenger cars. Direct competition for United Lubricants' heavy-duty and light-duty product lines.
• CITGO Petroleum (lubricants): U.S. refiner-marketer offering a full line of CITGO-branded industrial and automotive lubricants through a wholesale/distributor channel. Overlaps directly with United Lubricants' product portfolio and heavy-duty customer base.

Emerging players

• AMSOIL: Direct-sales synthetic lubricant specialist with a strong position in premium motor oils and industrial lubricants. Comparable product premiumization strategy with synthetic and specialty formulations, though relying on a dealer network rather than traditional distributors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/Ru4_JJ9ixWw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-lubricants

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 United Lubricants