The inaugural Chairman of VLS was Andy Dixon, Q8. Andy cares passionately about the role of VLS in bringing about a level playing field for the sector by creating an open and transparent market for lubricants.
Through its inaugural period, Andy led the formation of the Board, the Technical Review Panel and the Secretariat functions, ably supported by the UKLA Secretariat that has had such a profound impact upon our sector.
Andy took a business idea and turned it into a stable and sound business model of self-regulation that is now in turn influencing other organisations to develop their own programmes on a pan-European platform.
For his work in supporting the sector through VLS and ensuring the continued confidence of customers in our industry both now and in the future, the 2015 Special Award of Council goes to Andy Dixon.
Following the awards, UKLA President Hugh Dowding spoke to the room about the challenging economic times now facing our sector. From the slowdown in the Chinese economy, the rationalisation of the majors’ businesses to how the independent lubricants sector was being positively affected by the price of crude oil and the abundant supply of base oils. He also spoke of ‘Dieselgate’, the shift to alternative vehicles and back to gaseoline and the impact this will have on refineries where for years we have been told of a trade off between Group 1 Base Stocks and Diesel.
Looking to the UKLA, the President reported the Association to be in rude health – profitable but not too profitable and with a newly re-invigorated Secretariat. But even with healthy revenue and a professional Secretariat the UKLA must be realistic about what it can achieve and what its key priorities are.
Training of our industry members through the Certificate of Lubricant Competence course is a key objective and this year
will see the course being modernised and re-developed with the UKLA working alongside industry partners to achieve this.
Another key area is our fundamental role in representing the sector. Over the years the UKLA has relied on UEIL for representation but this is not the complete answer and we also need to be a voice which is heard here in the UK. Therefore the second of the UKLA’s key priorities is to strengthen representation within the UK Government.
With the Presidents words still in our ears, we were then treated to something a little bit different. Our ‘Speaker’ this year was the ventriloquist, Paul Zerdin, who recently won Americas Got Talent and who came to us fresh from his own show in Las Vegas. For one night only he was joined on stage by Nigel Bottom, Witham Group who was nothing if not an excellent sport. I know that I have certainly never laughed so much or so hard at an after dinner speaker, even if I too was the butt of a number of jokes. From the feedback afterwards the rest of the room felt the same too. If you get an opportunity, do go and see one of his shows!
Once the speaker had left the stage and the laughter had died down thoughts in the room turned back to meeting up with those old friends and colleagues in the bar and in the bar they stayed networking away until the early hours!
Finally UKLA must thank the sponsors of the evening without whom it would be a very dull affair. Cosan and Comma Oils were the headline sponsor and provided our table gifts. Receptions were sponsored by Exol Lubricants and ABN Resource. The After Dinner Speaker by MKR and Petronas, The dinner programme by IMCD and the table water by Reynolds. General Sponsors were Multisol, BASF, BTC and Anderol. The President’s Award was sponsored by Infineum.
Deborah Grigg #UKLADinner14 @UKLASecretariat
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.130 DECEMBER 2015
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