RS Clare & Co Ltd win Queen’s Award for International Trade 2011
Liverpool’s oldest manufacturer RS Clare & Co Ltd have been awarded this highest accolade in the Queen’s Birthday Honours during this their 263rd year by more than doubling exports over the past three years to over £5,500,000.
“The Queen’s Award is the icing on the cake following a number of awards in recent years including Liverpool Chamber’s Company of the Year in 2010 – beating Jaguar Land Rover and DLA Piper to the top spot – and Medium sized Business of the Year which was sponsored by NWDA in 2009.” So said Ian Meadows, 4th generation Chairman of the company which is going from strength to strength.
“Focusing on a niche market in the upstream Oil and Gas Sector, we have achieved pole position in the lubrication of vital wellhead equipment which supports Well
Integrity prolonging the life of expensive production equipment and protecting against crude oil and gas leakage,” continued Mr Meadows. “We are now the supplier of choice globally for many Major Oil Companies and Operators, and in the next few years growth will be exponential.”
The company’s success in recent years has led to a 20% growth in employment in the past year or so, and several areas of the group are also scoring significant achievements.
“Leading market positions in Railtrack lubrication and Anti Skid Surfacing on steel bridges, at port facilities and aboard RoRo ferries and marine car carriers are being replicated across the world,” said the Chairman. “Exports now constitute 50% of our sales in Manufacturing, and that is growing.”
Base Oil Report
Strong demand and tight supply of Group I base oils in the European market have been keeping prices firm. Rising prices for crude oil and the higher cost of vacuum gasoil are certainly factors in rising base oil prices, but fundamental supply and demand issues support the upward trend.
All of the main base oil suppliers have been implementing significant price increases for domestic customers in steps since February. One major’s five price increases between late February and late May amount to $320-365/tonne, depending on grade. In the case of SN150, this represents an increase of more than 30% over just three months.
Despite the higher prices, all suppliers report strong demand from lubricant blenders and other base oil consumers. Buyers seeking additional volumes from their main suppliers have often been disappointed.
Several European refiners have been conducting scheduled maintenance, but the tightness of the current market appears to be more related to exports from Europe rather than shutdowns. Demand for Group I base oils in China, other Asian countries, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America drew large quantities away from the European market during the first quarter, leaving very little surplus material and setting the stage for price increases.
Base oils from Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union can sometimes balance any shortages in western Europe, but strong domestic demand has reduced the volume of Russian material available for export. Much of what has been exported in recent months has been destined for the increasingly thirsty Turkish market.
Brent crude oil futures climbed past $100/bbl in January and were higher than $120/bbl all through April. Base oil
producers have been determined to restore margins after accounting for added costs.
Blenders have had to face not only higher base oil
prices, but higher costs for additive packages and for packaging. Many are struggling to pass these costs through to finished lubricant prices.
Switching to Group III base oils remains difficult because of a persistent shortage in Europe. Prices have not risen as quickly as those for Group I, but few sellers have uncommitted volumes. New production coming on stream in the Middle East this year is expected to make Group III base oils more easily available.
James Mills
Senior Editor (Europe) ICIS
• Export markets are being opened up from bases in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Amman, Stavanger and Houston, and markets are being developed in the former Soviet territories, The Far East and Middle East, North and Central America – the latest breakthroughs being in Gabon, Syria, Iraq, China, USA, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.
• Subsidiary company Wilson & Scott have been awarded an eight year £10,000,000 road marking contract to maintain Surrey County Council’s roads, and they have also just been made Company of the Year by Slough Chamber of Commerce.
LINK
www.rsclare.co.uk
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LUBE MAGAZINE No.103 JUNE 2011
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