SASH’s Spanish pragmatism

Those who want to find meaning in the abbreviated name of the Spanish brand SASH – don’t. It is simply a good sounding, catchy marketing word, which, as practice has shown, works well in export markets. autoExpert, thanks to the Ukrainian distributor NOVA FORMULA, visited the Aceites Lubricantes SASH oil production plant, located in the vicinity of Valencia.



The company does not invest much in traditional advertising - articles, the Internet, billboards, banners on trucks, etc., but focuses on helping distributors: merch, seasonal offers, visits by plant specialists to the distributor, inviting distributors to the plant. Therefore, the brand has not flooded the media space. There is practically no information about the company on the Internet, except for its own website. We will fill the gap.



Our guide to the company was Patrick Bay, the company's export manager.



So, the company Aceites Lubricantes SASH was founded on March 9, 1990 in the town of Puzol, which is almost next to Valencia. This is a classic family business, where the father started and the sons joined in.


It all starts in the laboratory

The tour began with the laboratory, where all the oils begin and end their journey through the company.







Base oils are used mainly from large well-known manufacturers: Repsol, Cepsa, Shell, ExxonMobil. Patrick said that 18 years ago, when he came to work for the company, base oils were bought only from Repsol. And when Covid19 happened, Repsol had interruptions, and SASH changed its purchasing policy - they started buying from many in order to diversify risks.

Often at exhibitions, SASH receives offers from unknown manufacturers to buy base oils. To which they receive the answer: if the company is a real manufacturer, and not a reseller, the sample will pass the test successfully, the prices will also be suitable - we are ready to work.

Do they at SASH use not only additives from world top manufacturers, but also Chinese additives? The answer is - they do not use them, because they have not seen any good products yet. And they did not specifically look for them. There is an Indian supplier with international quality, they cooperate with him.

All base oils without exception, even from the most trusted suppliers - are necessarily checked at the entrance. All additives too.



The laboratory was created and is developing in step with the times not only for the control of raw materials and finished products, but also in the process of developing its own oil formulas. For cars (this is an easier topic) in most cases it is more profitable to buy ready-made additive packages from top manufacturers - Lubrizol, Infineum, Chevron Oronite, Afton Chemical, but Aceites Lubricantes SASH develops industrial oil formulas themselves.

The amount of equipment and devices in the laboratory is impressive. It is hardly necessary to make a list of them. Real specialists will see everything in the photographs.

The laboratory does almost all possible tests!



Alicia Hervas, Chief Engineer of the Aceites Lubricantes SASH Laboratory.























There are two devices for analyzing elements in oil. The first, on X-rays, can check a maximum of 12 elements. The second, working on plasma, can measure up to 20 elements.

A spectrometer with infrared radiation can check whether this is a product of their company or not - using the saved "marks". This technology helps compare their products with competitors.

The laboratory has equipment for measuring the viscosity of motor oils under operating engine conditions - with high temperature and high pressure. This is most often used for synthetic oils.

Specialists test evaporation losses in oils, the amount and composition of ash, oil viscosity at different high and low temperatures, and all other standard oil parameters that every student of an automotive educational institution should already know.



A sample from each batch of oil is stored for 1 year.

This is one of the best-equipped laboratories in Spain. As proof of this: Repsol, which has several lubricant factories in Spain, periodically orders testing of its products in this laboratory.

Specialists from this laboratory have developed oil with a viscosity of 5W-60 for a supercar in Madrid.

At the testing stage is oil with a viscosity of 0W-60. Few competitors have this formula. However, the market is not ready for such oils yet. The reason is that car manufacturers have not yet told oil manufacturers that this is suitable for their engines. The oil is primarily intended for sports cars. The advantage of this oil is that it significantly reduces engine wear.

If a new product for new cars is released on the market, according to SASH specialists, there is no need to test it on a real car - a laboratory test never fails. Of course, field tests are carried out, but this is more for experience than out of necessity.

But this approach does not work with industrial products, everything is more complicated there. They must be given to an industrial enterprise for testing. Very often, this work is ordered by a specific enterprise.

Of course, they can test used car motor oils in a laboratory, but they do not do this - there are no free specialists for this. In such cases, SASH recommends that the client contact an independent laboratory.



Production

The production area is equipped with the latest technologies for the production and packaging of products. Together with the laboratory, it is located on an area of 14,000 sq.m.

The production processes are maximally automated, therefore all the storage and mixing tanks are connected by pipes. Mixing of base oils with additives occurs under temperature.



Process control and control of component dosing are fully regulated by a computer. Without electronic control today - no way. In some products, for example, up to 20 components of additives alone are used.

The production facilities are loaded with the manufacturing of products of three of its brands, absolutely identical in assortment and recipes. And also - production for more than 40 private brands.

Production capacity - 30,000,000 liters of oils per year.



If the plant does not have a product in its assortment, but the client needs it - it is necessary to place an order for at least 1000 liters and it will be produced. 1000 liters - because this is the volume of the smallest reactor.

Bottling and packaging lines - all automatic.































Lubricants, like antifreezes - are in the assortment, but they are not produced. This is a completely "different world" and different rhythms. The Aceites Lubricantes SASH company focuses on the production of oils and, working like clockwork, constantly increases the amount of oils produced. Therefore, the process of expanding production capacities has begun - a new building is being built. But there are already enough warehouses built and equipped.

The company constantly invests in itself - reinvests what it has earned. This is the "healthiest" type of business.


Warehouses

SASH has enough storage space to grow into.



There is a "smart warehouse" that uses the latest developments in robotics, where you can store large stocks with greater flexibility and service speed compared to conventional warehouses. The main feature of this warehouse is the maximum use of the entire volume of the premises.










There is a warehouse for storing additives.














Products. Range. About approvals.

In addition to automobile, motorcycle, marine, industrial and other oils, the company's range includes lubricants and auxiliary products.

• additives
• antifreezes
• windshield washers
• brake fluids
• professional auto service chemicals
• some service chemicals for industry.

Auto chemicals are a new developing direction in the company.



Every year, new products appear.

SASH is actively developing the direction of oils with esters. A small portion of esters enhances certain properties of the oil. Usually, esters in motor oils are 3-5%. Such oils are created mostly for racing cars, for high-performance engines.

Oils "PAO + esters" are created for routine replacement after 20 thousand km, but, from practice, they can be used up to 40 thousand km. There are oils that can retain their properties up to 100 thousand km.

For information: 100% ester oil, heavily processed and heat-resistant, is used in compressors, where temperatures are very high. These oils are only for industry, since they are very expensive.

Biodegradable oils are created for use in outboard engines. If the engine is inside the boat, regular oils are used.

Competitors in terms of pricing policy are a number of independent Spanish manufacturers, German, French, Italian, Belgian and Dutch.

But the main competitors that you really have to fight with are brands from Turkey and the UAE, because they are much cheaper.

At the same time, SASH emphasizes that it produces top-quality oils and offers them in the mid-price niche. Of course, this is achieved primarily through cost optimization and maximum automation.


SASH has approvals from car manufacturers, but having everything is expensive. For example, Volkswagen charges 6,000 euros/year for 1 product. To sell to official Ford dealers, you need approval from Ford, etc. That's the whole reason.

Oils with or without approval are the same thing. Moreover, the company claims that approval is purely marketing. Well, and to some extent proof that you know how to make a quality product.

Therefore, SASH has only two oils with approvals for heavy-duty vehicles and similar equipment and less than 10 products for passenger cars.

Approvals are needed for deliveries to the assembly lines of car manufacturers and for sales to branded service stations. But in most cases, these are not SASH clients, their clients are wholesalers and auto shops. The main niche that SASH counts on is an alternative to original and expensive brands when the car comes off warranty.

As a rule, the first fill is made of products from top companies. They are interested in this, because there are large volumes and they are focused on this. Very often, car manufacturers have additional requirements, for example, marketing ones, which can only be met by investing (freezing) large amounts of money.

Companies of the SASH level, and there are many of them, are objectively not ready, and do not strive for such cooperation. Their main goal is post-warranty cars and industry.



And of course, which Spanish manufacturer does not support motorcycling! There are none! (probably). And oil manufacturers are simply obligated to make a full range of oils for motorcycles. SASH is no exception.


SASH in the world

Aceites Lubricantes SASH brand distributors are already in 50 countries.

SASH oils are sold most in Israel (before the war) and in African countries.

In Europe – almost every country has a very competitive environment and often there is little point in counting on large sales of your own brand. As a rule, the plant's products are sold to such countries for private brands founded in these countries. And quite a lot is sold under this scheme.

In Africa, there are large sales because it so happened that Patrick is French, and in Africa there are many countries where French is spoken. Patrick Bay, as an export manager, came to the company when there was little export, and, accordingly, he started with the French-speaking countries of Africa. There are also no problems with payment there, because everyone pays in advance.

There are clients in the Middle East, there are in the USA in Florida, in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

In Algeria – it is very difficult to get an import license.

SASH wants to start working in Latin America. There are clients in Central America and Uruguay.

In most cases, Aceites Lubricantes SASH has no more than one distributor of one of its brands in a country. Several - they try to avoid. But it all depends on the size of the country. In Germany, for example, there are three distributors with clearly defined territories, each has its own region.

There is a distributor in China, but it is difficult to develop there.

The farthest country is New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean (a territory of France that has received autonomy).

What is the point of buying so far away, having a sufficient number of manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific region? They want to maintain relations with Europe.

Oils for watercraft are especially popular among brands that order products from SASH. They are bought most by brands and even manufacturers from the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.



Нових клієнтів шукають здебільшого на виставках. На Автомеханіці у Франкфурті беруть участь постійно, але виставка з кожним роком дедалі гірша, бо її відвідують практично ті самі люди. Тому намагаються їздити на ключові виставки до різних країн на всіх континентах. Ну і Автомеханіка в Мадриді – це для SASH лише місце зустрічі друзів.



The company employs five export managers. Patrick Bay, for example, is responsible for France, Portugal, Africa, and the Middle East. Irina Karpenko is responsible for the post-Soviet countries and Ukraine.



Oleksandr Kelm
Information agency autoExpert-Consulting
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