Castrol Canada Inc. and Wakefield Canada Inc. to Form Alliance

Castrol Canada Inc. and Wakefield Canada Inc. have announced that they intend to form a strategic alliance in order to build a stronger platform for the growth of the Castrol brand in Canada.
Under the terms of the alliance, Wakefield will manage the sales, distribution and marketing of Castrol products in Canada, while Castrol Canada Inc. will continue to manufacture and supply Wakefield with Castrol branded products from their Toronto manufacturing plant.
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.
According to Kent Rennie, GM of Castrol Canada Inc., “There is no doubt that the game is changing in Canada and we need to make sure that we can continue our track record of success. We intend to deliver on our aspiration to be the clear leaders in the Canadian marketplace. This alliance will allow us to drive for further scale efficiencies, while increasing our focus on the needs of the Canadian marketplace and of Canadian customers.”
Bob MacDonald, president of Wakefield added, “We are excited by the opportunities that this alliance with Castrol brings to both companies and feel that, together, we can deliver more of a Canadian focus to Castrol’s operations while greatly enhancing our ability to provide our customers with the very best for their lubricant needs and exceptional customer service.”
Wakefield is currently expected to begin operations by July 1st, 2005 and intends to retain the majority of Castrol’s existing staff.
According to Rennie, “We value the customer relationships we have built over the years. These relationships are at the very heart of our business, and of our past and future success. We also recognize that these relationships are built on the quality of our people, especially our front line sales, delivery and support staff. We are confident that this decision will help us secure a bold new direction for the Castrol brand in Canada, and greatly enhance our ability to provide our customers with the very best for their lubricant needs.”