Proud to Share our History
Our heritage matters. It’s more than a story of where we’ve been, it’s a record of who we are, what we stand for and how we’ve reacted to the times.
The Lube-Tech timeline is a snapshot of key moments encompassing nearly 100 years of accelerating performance. But they are not our favorite moments. Those happen each time we sit down with a customer, hear their story, understand their challenges and find a solution that makes their business better.
Purchase
Partner
Innovation
Merger
Aquisition
1932
John Jennison and Carl Rollins founded Jennison Rollins Oil Company.
1945
Gopher State Oil Company founded.
1967
John Coffey purchased Jennison Rollins Oil Company and renamed it “Rollins Fuel and Oil Company.”
1973
Fred Bame purchased the Gopher State Oil Company of Minneapolis and renamed it the “Gopher Oil Company.”
1980
Gopher Oil Company partnered with W.H. Barber Company to expand its blending and packaging abilities.
1993
Husband and wife, Chris and Marna Bame purchased the Gopher Oil Company and renamed it “Lubrication Technologies Inc.” known as “Lube-Tech,” remaining a family company ever since.
1994
Lube-Tech launched its first 2-cycle high-performance snowmobile oil for their first Custom Branded Solutions customer, later turning them into the world’s leading supplier of snowmobile oil.
1997
Lube-Tech merged with Rollins Fuel and Oil Company, one of the two largest privately held oil distributors in the Twin Cities.
1998
Lube-Tech launches an engine testing facility that focuses on high-tech performance testing and analysis for engines and fluids. Today it spends over 70,000 hours of engine testing each year.
2000
The water-based chemical division is established as a state-of-the-art blending facility.
2005
Lube-Tech partnered with Randt Recycling offering full-service recycling solutions.
2007
Lube-Tech purchased the Hallman Oil Company of St. Paul to expand distribution capabilities.
2010
Egan Oil Company is acquired, expanding Lube-Tech’s wholesale fuel, adding retail gasoline and entering the company into wind energy and power generation markets.
2012
JM Oil Company is acquired to create a stronger presence in central Minnesota.
2014
Lube-Tech acquired Yocum Oil Company, forming a fuel distribution partnership with Mansfield; Lube-Tech introduced Minnesota’s only oily water treatment facility.
2016
Lube-Tech & Partners is formed with the merger of Boyer Petroleum, Lubrication technologies (the Distribution Division) and Moore Oil Company became the largest lubricants and chemicals distributor in the region.
2017
Lube-Tech & Partners made its first acquisition under the new partnership by acquiring Dyno Oil, expanding Lube-Tech & Partners’ footprint to better serve the Northwestern region of Iowa.
PCS was acquired to complete Lube-Tech’s full circle of service in the automotive industry.
Lube-Tech purchases Mighty Auto Parts franchises in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.
2018
Lube-Tech acquires Reliable Plus, another Vehicle Wash company, making Lube-Tech the largest Vehicle Wash provider in the Midwest.
2020
Distribution Solutions released the industry’s first delivery truck that can also pick up used oil to recycle.
2021
Lube-Tech acquires CNC Electrical, one of the largest independent online retailers of rotating electrical components and replacement parts to expand our ecommerce capabilities.
2022
Lube-Tech launches the Maintenance 360® brand focusing on reliability services.
2022
Reliable Plus, a Lube-Tech company, acquires Midwest Carwash Supply to expand its geographic coverage area to include Northern Missouri and Western Illinois.