Wakefield Canada assumes ownership of Toronto production facility from BP Lubricants

Wakefield Canada took an important step forward as president and CEO Bob MacDonald accepted the keys to the Toronto, Ontario manufacturing facility, formerly operated by Castrol Canada Inc., from Marci Brand, president, of BP Lubricants.

BP Lubricants announced their decision to explore options for the future of the facility in Toronto earlier this year, and Wakefield was one of several interested parties to submit proposals. BP Lubricants chose Wakefield and signed a letter of intent with Wakefield and the two companies have been working since then to arrive at an agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, Wakefield today assumes ownership of the plant and manufacturing responsibility for the blending and packaging of Castrol products for the Canadian marketplace. Wakefield will continue to have exclusivity with respect to sales, marketing and distribution of Castrol consumer and commercial lubricants in Canada.

Castrol Canada Inc. is a part of the BP Group, one of the world’s leading energy companies. BP believes that this alliance will provide the opportunity to combine the global technology and marketing leadership of BP with the local entrepreneurial capabilities of Wakefield. This alliance will ensure the continuing success of the Castrol brand, which is already a market leader in the intensely competitive Canadian automotive lubricant market.

MacDonald considers this handover a significant high point in the company’s progress. “We intend to deliver on our aspiration to be the clear leaders in the Canadian marketplace. This is a strategic move for Wakefield and provides us with greater flexibility to deliver intuitive customer service to our business base across Canada.”

David Fifield, COO of Wakefield notes “This represents another milestone for Wakefield. It strengthens our strategic relationship with BP, enhances our capabilities and confirms our commitment to the Canadian marketplace.”