Engen Lubricants comes to Malawi

African giant with global connections appoints Chemicals & Marketing as official distributor

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Engen Petroleum and Chemicals & Marketing Company Limited have jointly announced Chemicals & Marketing's appointment as the official distributor of Engen's full range of lubricants and selected chemical products in Malawi.

Engen Petroleum

Engen Petroleum, a subsidiary of PETRONAS Malaysia, one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, is an African energy multinational with independent operations in 18 sub-Saharan countries.

While Engen is well-represented in southern Africa, to date the company has not had any formal representation in the Malawian market.

Engen Lubricants

Engen manufactures a vast range of lubricants under its own brand and those of PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) and ExxonMobil, among others.

The company will supply the Malawi market through its Durban blend plant (which has an output of 145 000 kilometric tons per annum), augmenting this supply chain with imports, where needed.

Lubricants and Chemicals range

The lubricants range to which Chemicals & Marketing has access includes Engen's automotive oils for petrol and diesel engines, universal tractor oils, gear and transmission oils, industrial oils, greases and utility products such as brake fluids.

Chemicals & Marketing Company will also distribute a wide range of Engen chemicals, which includes solvents and polymers.

Outstanding reputation

"Chemicals & Marketing was appointed as the Engen lubricants distributors in Malawi because of their outstanding reputation in the Malawian market and extensive lubricants knowledge," says Wayne Hartmann, general manager of Engen International Business Division.

Hartmann adds that "Engen and C&M share a similar corporate culture of doing business with integrity and honesty, while putting the customer first."

Patrick Khembo, Managing Director of Chemicals & Marketing, comments that the addition of the Engen brand to C&M's portfolio will further enhance its reputation as a dependable supplier of quality products, and will also boost its market position.

"We welcome the opportunity to distribute a new quality range from Engen and its alliance partners, and look forward to making further impact on our customers' businesses with it."

Hartmann notes that Engen has over the year built up globally-competitive product development expertise, stemming from its relationships with leading global car makers and other equipment manufacturers. In addition, it has gathered extensive local development know-how in product lines that can withstand harsh African operating conditions. "With this arrangement we undertake to bring our very best products to Malawi – quickly, efficiently, in the right quantities and with a wide range of choice," he says.

Distribution capacity

Chemicals & Marketing Company Limited is a wholly owned Malawian company. The company sells and distributes a diverse range of high-quality proprietary and commodity pharmaceuticals, as well as industrial and agricultural chemicals.

It will distribute Engen's lubricants through its own branches in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, and through reputable partners throughout the country.

For more information please contact Kamil de Villiers from Engen Petroleum on +27-21-403-5278 or Tawona Mkandawire from Chemicals & Marketing Company on +265-1-870-600 email: tmkandawire@chemicals.co.mw