Over 20 years have passed since the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Alaska, but the environmental, economic, and legal impact of the disaster is still felt today. The spill completely destroyed the tourism and fishing industry in the once pristine Prince William Sound. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of seabirds, otters, seals and whales killed by the spill, the once prosperous $12 million per year herring fishery completely disappeared. Legal battles surrounding the spill and corresponding cleanup have waged on for over two decades, marred by numerous appeals by ExxonMobil to reduce punitive damages.
The public backlash against Exxon following the spill was enormous, enough so that they have made a concerted effort to use the merger with Mobil to slowly dissolve the Exxon name and the negative connotations associated with it. In our industry, the Exxon brand has virtually disappeared while the Mobil and Mobil1 brand have blossomed thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising.
Once considered the most devastating manmade environmental disaster in history, the Exxon Valdez spill is now dwarfed by the crisis created by BP in the Gulf Coast. Current estimates have pegged the BP oil leak at 2 million plus gallons PER DAY, which equates to an Exxon Valdez spill about every six days.
While the public outrage against Exxon 20 years ago was marked by nationwide boycotts and vandalism to Exxon service stations, it pales tremendously in comparison to the opposition BP faces. The media scrutiny of the BP disaster is immeasurably times greater than what Exxon faced due to the massive expansion of television coverage and the advent of the Internet. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook provide the public with real time news updates, including opportunities to share graphic pictures and videos of polluted shorelines and oil soaked animals.
Another major factor working against BP is that our nation strives for a much greener identity than we did back in 1989. Our society has become increasingly sensitive to anything or anyone that damages the future of our fragile environment. This environmental concern has banded people together against BP, as evidenced by the hundreds of planned protests at BP facilities and social networking groups like the Boycott BP page on Facebook that, at time of this article, was 800,000+ people strong. These groups are targeting all products associated with BP, which includes Castrol lubricant products.
The question becomes:
How does the BP oil spill impact my business and what changes can I implement to make the best of this very negative situation?
Perhaps the only positive to come out of this catastrophe is it has drawn increased awareness to our need as a society to free ourselves from our dependence on oil and seek cleaner, more eco-friendly forms of energy. This awareness exists at every cultural level including end-use consumers, small business owners, large corporate entities and even our government, both local and federal. As a result, you have a tremendous opportunity to satisfy a need for your customer base while expanding your green footprint within the community. A green oil change service, using re-refined motor oil, presents nothing but positive benefits for your business:
* Attract new eco-conscious customers
* Improve customer retention and loyalty
* Differentiate yourself from your competitor down the street offering $19.95 oil changes
* Position as a premium service and earn additional margin over a standard LOF
* Receive positive press and accolades for offering an environmentally friendly service
* Increase your fleet account business from green companies and city, county, and state municipality vehicles.
The key to implementing a successful green oil change service is timing. As the demand for re-refined motor oil grows, more and more lube operators will source the product and add it their service mix. Your opportunity to grab market share and capitalize on any potential media coverage and environmental awards is now. Unquestionably, this service will become very prevalent in our industry in coming months and the longer you wait, the higher the likelihood that one of your competitors will take the reins and run with it. The current environmental climate dictates a realistic possibility that a green oil change will soon be the norm, not an exception. The fast lube industry, as a whole, has the opportunity to deliver a uniform, green solution to the national preventative maintenance marketplace.
Re-refining used oil into a high-quality lubricant creates a ‘cradle to cradle’ closed-loop system, in which, valuable petroleum resources are used over and over again, delivering tangible environmental benefits. By providing and choosing a green oil change, you and your customer base are:
* Conserving irreplaceable petroleum resources
* Reducing our reliance on foreign crude oil
* Reducing air pollution
* Conserving energy resources
* Supporting our domestic economy
Because re-refined motor oils are collected, manufactured and blended within a fully sustainable system, it completely ELIMINATES environmentally damaging off-shore drilling and transportation. Should re-refined lubricants become the new standard for our society, we may successfully avoid environmental disasters for future generations.
North American Lubricants’ re-refined product line, PureGreen Lubricants, are available nationwide and in all grades, including 10W-30, 5W-30, 5W-20, 15W-40, and even a Dex III ATF. PureGreen Lubricants meet and exceed all of the latest performance standards and are available in bulk, drums and our innovative five quart eco-bottles. We are also proud to offer detailed on-site training, as well as a marketing bundle that includes bay banners, wall posters, and informational pamphlets. Our industry is in the midst of a great number of changes and more are assuredly on the way. Now more than ever, the success of your business will be determined by your ability to adapt and provide innovative solutions for your customers. North American Lubricants welcomes the chance to serve as your partner in navigating these changes and implementing the necessary programs and products to position your business for immediate and future success.
One cannot write about government affairs without mentioning the ubiquitous Right to Repair Act that has been reintroduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sam Brownback (R-KS). The latest incarnation of the act “would require car manufacturers to provide to all repair shops the access codes, repair instructions, tools, equipment, and other information necessary to diagnose, service and maintain their vehicles.” The press release goes on to say that “manufacturers must provide the same information to independent repair shops as they provide to authorized dealers.”
