Shell Lubricants Gains Packaging Color Consistency Worldwide in Agreement with Ampacet
Tarrytown, NY, May 24, 2006 - Shell lubricants companies have assured that their motor oil packaging has the same color anywhere in the world through an agreement with Ampacet Corporation. Under the agreement, Ampacet guarantees that the colorant masterbatches used in packaging for the Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, Shell Helix®, Shell Rimula® and Shell Rotella® brands meet Shell's global specifications.
In implementing the agreement, Ampacet first matched Shell lubricants packaging color standards and then defined quantitative color measurements for each brand as a way to control color masterbatch quality at Ampacet's facilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The masterbatches are then used in blow molded bottles, injection molded pails, and injection and compression molded caps made for Shell by about 100 converters in 60 countries. Ampacet will provide ongoing oversight to ensure each converter continues to meet the color specifications.
"Our global color initiative gives us better control over the look and feel of our automobile and heavy duty motor oil packaging," says Gary Stutzman, Shell Global Category Manager, Packaging. "A part of this effort involved choosing an exclusive global color supplier. We evaluated six masterbatch suppliers and chose Ampacet for its broad geographic presence, regional technical centers that can support our converters in meeting the set color specifications, and innovative solutions that make our converters' packaging operations more cost efficient."
The new color standardization effort fosters the identity of the Shell lubricants brands worldwide. Its stringent color specifications will help the company address counterfeiting issues, because bottles that don't conform to the standard are easier to identify in the market place. It also creates uniformity across the Shell lubricant's supply network, because packaging from any source location will look the same when placed on store shelves in any region.
Under the initiative, suppliers to Shell must adopt procedures to assure that the final packaging has the appropriate color values, opacity and overall performance. In practice, production follows a 'three-to-agree' approach under which Shell, each packaging manufacturers' location and Ampacet affirm that a color meets the specifications set for a package.
"The program went from concept to implementation in about one year," says Rick Hawley, Global Packaging Technical Manager at Shell. "An initial study of Shell lubricants packaging from 10 countries found 10 shades for the same brand. We then spent six months collecting data from our supplier and converter base regarding color, usage and other factors that affect packaging. This was followed by the search for a global color masterbatch supplier and by putting enhanced color systems in place."
Doug Brownfield, Strategic Business Manager at Ampacet, says this is a unique and visionary initiative. "To our knowledge, the Shell Lubricants companies are the first organization to engage a single masterbatch supplier for a global color program that ensures the color consistency of their brands worldwide.
"This agreement extends our existing relationship with Shell lubricants companies. As a Shell color masterbatch supplier in the U.S. and South America for several years, we understand the Shell Lubricants color and packaging needs in detail and how to meet them. It is a natural step to extend this knowledge base to other regions. This is an ongoing program. Once it is fully implemented, we will continue to uphold Shell's color requirements at each converter in each country."
The work on standardizing the colors of Shell lubricants' bottles across multiple converters and countries began in Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Ampacet met with 20 converters in 13 countries in these areas, set up trials at each one, and then tested the molded bottle colors made by each location against the standard.
"Our initial color mapping study of Shell lubricants' bottles reinforced their desire to use a single masterbatch supplier worldwide," says Christian Carnevali, General Manager - Ampacet Asia. "After we were chosen for the program, we set about implementing Shell's color standards in Asia, India and Pakistan. The initial trials were just the first step. We now have an ongoing quality control initiative under which we test sample bottles from each converter to ensure bottle color remains true to the standard."
About Ampacet
Ampacet Corporation is a global masterbatch leader and offers the broadest range of custom color, special effect, black, white and specialty additive masterbatches for extrusion, molding and a multitude of other processes and applications. Founded in 1937, it now employs more than 1,400 people and has revenues exceeding $650 million. Headquartered in Tarrytown, N.Y., Ampacet Corporation operates technical and color development centers and manufacturing sites throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe.
About Shell Lubricants
The term 'Shell Lubricants' collectively refers to the companies of the Shell Group engaged in the lubricants business. Shell lubricants companies are global leaders in lubricants and operate in approximately 120 countries worldwide. They manufacture and blend products for use in a range of applications from consumer motoring to food processing and heavy industry to commercial transport. The Shell portfolio of top quality lubricant brands includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, FormulaShell®, Shell Tellus®, Shell Cassida®, Shell ROTELLA® T, Shell Spirax® and a portfolio of car care products and Jiffy Lube® services.
Contact: Doug Brownfield, Strategic Business Manager
(513) 247-5412, dbrownfield@ampacet.com
or
Michael Bratnick, CoreCom
908/204-0730, mbratnick@corecompr.com
