Proudly Australian and family-owned since 1926, Penrite Oil has been redefining standards of excellence in the oils and lubricants industry for the last century. We take a look under the bonnet to discover what makes the company tick.
A CENTURY OF LUBRICANTS
Penrite Oil (Penrite) is a privately owned Australian lubricants and oils company established in 1926.
At present, its head office is located in Dandenong South, Melbourne, Australia, with other major offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, alongside Auckland, New Zealand.
The company’s tried and tested products are locally distributed and exported internationally to over 20 countries throughout Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and Oceania.
With a comprehensive array of lubricants and oils across its ever-expanding portfolio, Penrite now manufactures over 170 different products across 12 different market segments, ensuring the right product is recommended for every application.
In this way, Penrite embraces the latest technologies and uses only quality base oils and additives, ranging from hydrocracked Group 2 base oils, right up to the highest and most premium Group 4 and 5 base oils.
As such, the company develops and manufactures products to both meet and exceed the current industry specifications.
QUALITY, SUPPLY, AND PRODUCTION
Over the last century, Penrite has established an extensive supply chain in the Australian automotive aftermarket industry and abroad.
With two blending plants in Australia, and an annual capability of 38.4 million litres (l), the company has flexible manufacturing and packaging capabilities.
Its automated in-line filling facilities cater to all types of packaging, ranging from one to 1,000 L, with constant and thorough quality control processes in place.
As an ISO 9001-certified company, Penrite has the processes, systems, and support structures in place to back up its quality claims. With continuous surveillance audits along the entire supply chain, all products meet the highest standards specified.
At Penrite, the company prides itself on establishing and nurturing strong relationships with its key supply partners, both local and international – working together to access the latest product technology, including packaging.
The company develops and tests these new products in its R&D facility in Melbourne, using customer feedback to incorporate new features and improvements. Penrite thrives on innovation and strives to be first to market with successful products.
Utilising 22 warehousing facilities across Australia and New Zealand, Penrite ensures its customers receive their orders promptly, with a delivery promise is within 24 to 48 hours, honouring a delivered-in-full-on-time (DIFOT) target of 100 percent.
At each facility, highly trained team members work together to ensure stock is picked, packed, and transported efficiently.
PASSION FOR MOTORSPORT
Penrite’s marketing activities includes a keen involvement in motorsport, a passion which has seen the company partner with numerous teams worldwide across a vast range of motorsport disciplines including automotive, motorcycle, kart, and boat racing.
Key partnerships include its work with Honda Racing Corporation and Erebus Motorsport.
From 2015 until 2020, Penrite was the naming rights sponsor of Erebus Motorsport, initially for one car and then, from 2019, for both cars in the stable.
The most notable achievement of this partnership was winning the 2017 Bathurst 1000 with David Reynolds and Luke Youlden behind the wheel.
In 2021, Penrite moved with Australian professional racing driver, David Reynolds, to Kelly Grove Racing – it also sponsored Matthew Payne’s Nissan Altima L33 in the Super2 Series for selected rounds.
Elsewhere, the successful Penrite and Honda Racing Corporation partnership began in 2013.
Since then, the partnership has expanded to sponsoring riders not only in motorcross but also in the realms of supercross, endurance, and road racing.
The most notable achievements of the partnerships include three consecutive Australian Supercross Championships in 2016, 2017, 2018 with US rider Justin Brayton, alongside triumphing in the 2018 Yamaha Motorcycle Insurance (YMI) Australian Superbike Championship with rider Troy Herfoss.
A CENTURY OF SUCCESS
In 2026, Penrite is proudly celebrating its 100th anniversary – a monumental milestone for a family-owned, Australian-made brand that can now boldly claim it has truly stood the test of time.
This incredible achievement is a testament to the dedication of every person who has been part of the Penrite journey, from its humble beginnings to becoming a trusted name in lubricants and oils.
As the company gears up to mark this significant occasion, Penrite is inviting its valued partners, customers, and supporters to join the celebrations.
To honour this milestone, Penrite has curated an exciting line-up of large-scale activations, promotions, and events planned across Australia.
Additionally, it is also offering exclusive experiences to give its community a special behind-the-scenes look at what makes the company so unique. Penrite’s social channels will be revealing more details soon for these special anniversary celebrations.
The first of these initiatives will be the unveiling of a new 100th anniversary logo and the launch of the ‘People of Penrite’ series, which will begin this year.
This series will highlight the stories of those who have contributed to Penrite’s success and feature a new visual look on show across local retailers and all social media platforms.
Undoubtedly, as the company celebrates 100 years of innovation and commitment to quality, it remains deeply proud of its roots as a family-owned Australian company.
Supporting local manufacturing and staying true to its values of creating high-performance products made domestically in Australia is more important to the company than ever, as Penrite looks forward to sharing this exciting chapter with the world and continuing to build on its legacy for another 100 years.
PENRITE VISION, MISSION, AND BRAND IDENTITY
- Vision
To deliver innovative tailored lubricant products and services to customers globally. - Mission
To partner with customers to achieve sustainable and long-term growth through passion and commitment to excellent product quality, service, and delivery. - Brand identity
A premium, high-quality and trusted brand that manufactures the right product for every application. Known as ‘A Better Class of Oil’, Penrite is voted number one by independent mechanics and as a supplier of choice by major customers.
COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE
Penrite has committed to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future and is working hard on developing better practices to minimise its footprint across all aspects of the business.
The company is heavily investing in more efficient use of water and electricity, waste reduction and recycling, solar electricity generation, and water catchment programmes.
Penrite aims to increase its staff and customers’ overall environmental awareness, innovation and leadership, with the ambition to be a net zero company by 2050.
Moving forward, the business strives to minimise any environmental impact by reducing emissions and developing safe and sustainable production, packaging, storage, and distribution methodologies.
This company profile was produced by the editorial team at APAC Outlook, a publication within the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
Outlook Publishing showcases organisations and leadership teams shaping sectors including manufacturing, mining, construction, healthcare, supply chains, food production, and sustainability.
APAC Outlook highlights organisations driving innovation, investment, and industry development across the Asia-Pacific region.
