Parman Lubricants Corp. Introduces First Environmentally Friendly, Green Motor Oil to Tennessee

EcoPower motor oil is re-refined and recycled - and now available throughout Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 23 -- Green motor oil is coming to Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis and surrounding areas, thanks to Nashville-based Parman Lubricants Corp., which has signed a dealer agreement with Safety-Kleen, makers of EcoPower.

"EcoPower is a recycled motor oil produced by Safety-Kleen that offers our customers an environmentally-conscious, top-quality motor oil," said Hutch Hockenberger, vice president of Parman Lubricants. "We chose to be the first to offer this product in Tennessee because it's a proven performer and it meets or exceeds the highest North American standards for motor oil performance."

"EcoPower has truly been 'torture tested' for millions of miles under highly demanding conditions," said Eric Zimmer, senior vice president of marketing for Safety-Kleen, based in Plano, Texas. "Safety-Kleen has been providing our recycled motor oil for use in state trooper cruisers, military combat vehicles and emergency vehicles for years."

The recent launch of EcoPower is based on growing demand for environmentally-friendly products, including motor oils and other commercial lubricants, Zimmer said. EcoPower is one of the most innovative motor oil products to come on the market in years, he added, and helps dealers such as Parman attract and retain customers, especially those seeking responsible alternatives.

For the past 20 years, Safety-Kleen has produced high-quality motor oils for large commercial fleets and the federal government by re-refining used oil the company collects at thousands of car dealerships, automotive retailers and quick-lube facilities across North America.

In 2008, Safety-Kleen collected more than 225 million gallons of used oil and recycled approximately 145 million of it into base oil products for re-use in the marketplace. Safety-Kleen's re-refined oil meets or exceeds all applicable specifications set by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Society of Automotive Engineers.

"Re-refining used oil saves energy," said Zimmer. "It takes up to 85 percent less energy to produce a gallon of re-refined oil from used oil than to produce that same product from a gallon of crude. Yet, the quality of recycled motor oil is virtually identical to oils made from crude."

According to Zimmer, the process for re-refining used oil is essentially the same as refining crude oil. Both go through the same exacting processes of distillation and hydro-treating, and the end products must meet the same specifications.

"The end result of Safety-Kleen's re-refining used oil is that it avoids the emission of more than 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year when compared to refining from crude and burning used oil for energy," said Zimmer. "That is equivalent to taking more than 200,000 cars off the road each and every year."

EcoPower motor oil is now available in 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30 and 15W-40 viscosity grades. In addition, all major U.S. car manufacturers have approved the use of Safety-Kleen SAE 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 ILSAC-certified motor oil in all their cars. The EcoPower SAE 15W-40 grade has also been approved by leading heavy-duty engine manufacturers.