Universal Lubricants Hires Automotive Industry Veteran Thomas Barb

WICHITA, Kan., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Lubricants – one of America's only manufacturers and distributors of engine oils that collects, re-refines, blends, packages and redistributes its own product line -- announced today that Thomas Barb has joined the company as director of retail sales. Mr. Barb, who has twenty years of experience in the Automotive Aftermarket, will oversee all of the Company's sales activities relating to the retail segment. He'll report directly to Universal Lubricants' vice president of marketing and retail sales, Peter Fox.

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"Universal Lubricants saw its footprint expand in the past year at an incredible rate; we introduced our high performance and environmentally friendly line of engine oils, ECO ULTRA®, to dealerships, service centers and autoshops around the country," said Mr. Fox. "We're deepening our marketing and sales team to accommodate – and what's more, to accelerate – the growing demand. Tom not only offers a depth of knowledge about the automotive industry, but a breadth of experience in visual presentation, product management, and advertising that will complement the skills of our existing staff. We will continue to focus on delivering results and nurturing distribution channels, so that more people, more quickly, are able to choose ECO ULTRA® to keep their engines performing optimally, while helping to preserve our natural resources."  

Mr. Barb served as the director of merchandising at Auto Zone Inc., for eleven years prior to joining Universal Lubricants. He managed Maintenance, Visual Presentation and Minor Repair groups in this capacity, driving retail sales for products representing $1 billion at market.  Mr. Barb has also served as a buyer for Pep Boys, where he was responsible for purchasing and merchandising decisions for a variety of categories, including: chemicals, accessories, electronics, application products, paint, hardware, and tools.

"I am very excited to join Universal Lubricants," said Mr. Barb. "The Company is driving innovation-- from its use of re-refined oil in place of crude as a feedstock for ECO ULTRA, to the product's unconventional packaging design. I look forward to marketing a product that prioritizes performance while being environmentally friendly, and helping Universal Lubricants grow."

For more information about Universal Lubricant's ECO ULTRA products, visit www.ecoultraoil.com.

About Universal Lubricants

Universal Lubricants, since its founding in 1929, has balanced tradition with innovation to emerge over the past four decades as a driving force in used oil collection, new oil refining and distribution. The Company collects, re-refines blends and re-distributes its own engine oil—never losing guardianship within the chain—to ensure that every quart, every gallon is of the highest quality for optimal performance. Universal Lubricants, with our Closed Loop Process™, boasts a national presence, supplying ECO ULTRA® throughout the country by operating 28 facilities in 14 states. This includes one of the world's most technologically advanced re-refineries in Wichita, Kansas. The Company employs 380 American workers and is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company.

A leader in R&D and in the marketplace, Universal Lubricants will continue to drive progress and drive performance in the engine oil industry. For more information visit www.universallubes.com.

SOURCE Universal Lubricants