Indigenous firm, Dutylex, has defied all odds to become a Pan-African firm with its ambition of becoming a household name on the African continent.

Founded by its Chief Executive Officer, Peter Quarm, the Ghana-based lubricant solutions company has evolved from a small base into a dominant market player, achieving 100% year-on-year growth.

“Our relationship with Petro-Canada Lubricants has matured significantly, and we now represent the brand in close to 40 countries across West, East, and Central Africa. Petro-Canada Lubricants is a subsidiary of HF Sinclair Corporation”, Mr. Quarm told Global Business Reports.

He alluded that its industry footprint has also evolved, stressing, “We started with a cross-industry focus in Ghana but quickly realised that mining was the space to be in, so we concentrated our efforts on serving this sector. Now that we’ve established a leading position in mining, we are expanding our business into other verticals, including power generation, motor oils, manufacturing, agriculture, and food-grade lubricants”.

As part of your African expansion, Dutylex recently decided to open an office in Rwanda.

Mr. Quarm said Dutylex has received a request for support from a large Rwandan power generation company that operates MWM gas engines. “Dutylex bid against other brands and was able to demonstrate that our products could double the oil drain intervals compared to the lubricants previously in use, resulting in significant cost savings. We also showed that we could streamline their supply chain by utilising an existing warehouse to store inventory, which led to a 45% reduction in overall supply chain associated costs”.

According to him, the contract is not only a springboard into East Africa’s power sector but also into the manufacturing, mining, and logistics sectors of the region. 

Dutylex Works in Partnership with Local Dealers

To cover 40 countries in Africa, Dutylex is also working in partnerships with local dealers.

“Indeed, our strategy is not to be physically present as Dutylex in every market but to collaborate with local partners who already have a strong footprint, business knowledge, and customer relationships. From our two regional hubs -Ghana for West Africa and Rwanda for East and Central Africa - we can service customers across the continent”.

He explained that some of Dutylex priority markets in the East include Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the DRC, Congo (Brazzaville) and Burundi, highlighting that “The main criterion we look for in a partner is a background in the lubricant and energy provision space. Experience is key to achieving critical mass in this industry. We also seek collaborators who are well-established, have the right infrastructure, sufficient financial capacity, and comply with local laws. In other words, we look for partners who “own” their space and can help us build win-win synergies.”

Dutylex already has two lubricant terminals in Ghana

Its end goal has always been to localise production instead of continuously importing from Canada.

This, Mr. Quarm pointed out, would not only create opportunities for youth employment and contribute to the local economy but also reduce total costs by lowering logistics expenses and leveraging lower labour costs. “That said, localisation is a phased process”.

“Before making any large capital investment in a blending plant, we needed to first establish the market. The next step, an intermediate phase before blending, is to import in bulk and repackage locally into smaller units. This would allow us to generate local employment while cutting costs by importing in ISO tanks, decanting, and then redistributing the product. After consolidating this stage over the next three to four years, we plan to build a blending plant in Ghana to manufacture the finished product locally”, he mentioned.

“As we’ve consistently shown, we are determined and ambitious. Our goal isn’t just to generate profit, but to create opportunities for broader society - that’s what drives us and brings joy to what we do”, he mentioned.

Dutylex Represents Specialty Oils

Mr. Quarm continued that Dutylex will always position itself as a specialty oil provider, and not a commodity oil provider.

“While many of our competitors are fuel companies that use base oils engineered for fuels to produce lubricants, Petro-Canada lubricants use base oils engineered for lubricants to produce lubricants resulting in a purity rate of 99.9%”, he added. 

Additionally, Petro-Canada Lubricants are at the forefront of Research and Development, offering sustainable, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly alternatives. “We already have biodegradable products in our hydraulic, engine, and gear oil range, and these formulations are constantly being improved. Our recent introduction of EV lubricants and advanced cooling fluids in the EV and Tech industries is deeply innovative and sustainability-driven, with strong alignment to the global net-zero transition”.

In his final message, Mr. Quarm commended Dutylex its partners at Petro-Canada Lubricants, adding, without the right collaboration, we wouldn’t have achieved the remarkable results we see today, and Petro-Canada Lubricants would not have the presence it now enjoys in Africa.