Lucas Oil Products Turns 30, Reflects on Early Years
Lucas Oil Products Inc. has ascended to become one of the world’s most recognizable brands during the past three decades. The American-based manufacturer and distributor of additive and lubricant products is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month.
Founded in the once booming Southern California agricultural epicenter of Corona in 1989, the company was a manifestation of the desire of its founder, Forrest Lucas, to find a way to keep the engine of his big rig running smoothly over long-haul truck drives in sweltering temperatures on highways across Arizona and the American southwest. Focused on solving his own dilemma, Lucas plotted the course for his own company by seeking to not only improve on the existing products in the marketplace, but also establish new categories that went beyond just heavy-duty trucks. The seed was planted to become the No. 1 additive company in the world, and Lucas didn’t relent until that goal was achieved, according to the company.
In the years that followed, the company grew exponentially as Lucas quickly built upon the four core products: Heavy Duty Stabilizer, Fuel Treatment, Power Steering Stop Leak, and Transmission Fix. Lucas Oil shortly thereafter entered the marine industry and proceeded to introduce an outdoor/sportsman line before really making a name for itself in motorsports.
Soon enough, the fledgling business that began with four employees had become a lubricant powerhouse, with 500 full-time employees. The global demand for Lucas Oil Products ultimately led to the opening of a new 350,000-square-foot flagship distribution and production facility in the rural southern Indiana town of Corydon, just north of the Ohio River.
Today, Lucas Oil Products encompass the most diversified range of segments in the automotive, powersports, marine, industrial, outdoor, and motorsports marketplaces, many of which were created by Lucas himself. The company produces more than 300 premium oil products and has distribution to 48 different countries, according to the company. Under the roof of each of its two production facilities, Lucas Oil is able to use its in-house formulas to blend and bottle every product, and ship them around the world. The California facility handles distribution to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and the western U.S., while the Indiana plant distributes to Canada, Europe, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and eastern states.
“Our forte’ is making better products for industries and specialty situations that are not having their needs met by other oil products, and believe me, major oil companies have left a lot of weak spots,” Lucas said. “We have an excellent staff and a world of technology which we have gained through years of research. Together, we have done a great deal in a short period of time, and we intend to do a lot more.”
Under the guidance of Forrest and his wife, Charlotte, Lucas Oil Products Inc. has continued to diversify, with the original California location expanding into a multi-faceted corporate headquarters that also houses Lucas Oil Production Studios, the Lucas OilRacing TV streaming platform, the marketing arm known as Team Lucas, and motorsports broadcast network MAVTV.
Moreover, Lucas Oil Products Inc. as a whole now includes business ventures across a dynamic range of different industries. While the manufacturing of additives and lubricants remains the lifeblood of Lucas Oil, where it serves as the global leader, the company’s involvement also extends into agriculture, transportation, TV and film production, motorsports, sporting events and venues, sports marketing, live entertainment, and fabrication services.
While its deep involvement in racing helped put Lucas Oil on the map by providing moving billboards at racetracks and on television screens around the world, its title sponsorship of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts, effectively made the brand a household name, according to the company. Its presence has only grown further into the mainstream, where endeavors like the inception of Forrest Films opened the door for Forrest Lucas to rub shoulders with Hollywood’s elite.
“When I see a need, I have to fulfill it. That desire and that belief helped build a brand that is now widely recognized around the world,” Lucas said. “We’ll stop at nothing to ensure that we’re providing our audience and our customers with the best possible product, whether that’s with Lucas Oil or one of our many other ventures. Hard work got us here, and it will allow us to be successful no matter what we set out to accomplish.”
