UMW's expansion into the premium Asian lubricant market is
driven by its strategic partnership with Repsol YPF Lubricantes
Y Especialidades, S.A. (Repsol). Under a principal agreement
signed with Repsol, UMW Lubricant International Sdn. Bhd. (ULI),
a wholly-owned subsidiary in the UMW Group, will have exclusive
rights to blend and distribute the premium range of Repsol
lubricants for the automotive industry across Asia. The area of
coverage includes South East Asia Region, China Region and
Indo-China Region.
UMW's strong presence and knowledge of regional markets
coupled with our expertise in lubricant manufacturing technology
will help promote and open new markets, launching REPSOL's
established brand of premium lubricant products into the Asian
market. Repsol, a well-established name in Europe has a strong
foundation in the motorcycle lubricants sector via its long
standing association with MotoGP. For the automotive and
industrial sector, it carries a wide range of lubricant products
for passenger, commercial vehicles, and industrial use.
Direct imports of Repsol products are being marketed in
Malaysia with promotions in Singapore, Brunei, Papua New Guinea
and Myanmar being done in planned stages to build a new premium
platform since 2011. UMW has a strong presence in the regional
market, providing a strong platform for Repsol to grow. ULI then
started with locally-blended products in 2012 under strict
Repsol supervision and quality control. Through strong
collaboration, Repsol now has more than 300 outlets with 39 main
distributors appointed throughout the nation and looking to
expand towards the region as a market leader.
China’s lubricant market is the second largest in the world.
It offers a huge potential for expansion for UMW and Repsol. To
exploit this opportunity, Lubritech Limited, China, a subsidiary
of UMW, commenced importing and selling of Repsol lubricants in
March 2011. Repsol products are currently sold by more than 30
distributors in China Central and China South with the
distribution network expanding to 120 distributors in 2012. The
new blending plant in China commenced blending of Repsol
formulations in April 2013, providing a direct supply line to
the provinces. Locally-blended products are currently being sold
in China in 4, 18, and 200-litre packages.
Background
Repsol is Spain’s largest integrated oil and gas company with
principal operations in Latin America, the Middle East, and
North Africa as well as and other operations in over 30
countries in upstream, downstream and LNG businesses.
Racing technology has become part of the image of its range of
auto lubricants with international prominence in racing events
such as the MotoGP. Over the years, Repsol has developed and
established itself as a premium brand in the global arena with
an aggressive R&D arm that is continually providing cutting-edge
technology solutions.
Repsol’s range of lubricants is in direct competition with
major global premium brands and it continues to strive for
greater market share with a strategic initiative for global
expansion.
