Schaeffer Oil
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Oil company |
Founded | 1839 |
Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri, US |
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Schaeffer Oil is a
History
Schaeffer Manufacturing Company was founded in 1839 by a German immigrant, Nicholas Schaeffer, in
Founder Nicholas Schaeffer was a contemporary of another successful St. Louis business owner, Eberhard Anheuser, who also was a fellow soap-maker. Along with Anheuser, Schaeffer was a creditor of the Bavarian Brewery Company, a struggling brewery founded in 1853. When the brewery encountered financial difficulty in 1860, Schaeffer and Anheuser purchased the minor creditors' interests and took over the company, renaming it as Schaeffer, Anheuser & Co.[5] Two years later, Anheuser bought out Schaeffer's interest in what later became the Anheuser-Busch Company. Nicholas Schaeffer and Company continued to grow and was widely successful, eventually placing its owner as one of St. Louis’ first millionaires.[3] Nicholas Schaeffer led the company until his death in 1880.
In 1879, Jacob Schaeffer became president of the company and changed the name to Schaeffer Brothers and Powell. The company became the largest soap and candle maker west of the Mississippi,[2] producing Boss laundry bar soaps, crude glycerin, various grades of lard oil and Coach and Star brand candles. Schaeffer's Star Candles were discovered in the wreck of the steamboat Bertrand,[6] which sank in the Missouri River in 1865.
During the 1904 World's Fair, Schaeffer Brothers and Powell participated as sponsors.
William Shields, became president of the company, when his father-in-law, Jacob Schaeffer, died in 1917.[7] Shields remained president until his oldest son, Tom Shields, succeeded him in 1946.
In 1947, the company initiated a number of new products and remodeled their business structure into a direct selling format.[3] The name of the Company was changed to Schaeffer Manufacturing Company and in 1950, the company closed its soap and candle-making businesses to dedicate its resources to lubricant manufacturing. During this period, Schaeffer began building a direct sales force under the leadership of sales manager Martin J. Schwab. After the death of Tom Shields and Martin Schwab in 1982, John Schaeffer Shields became Chairman of the Board and continued to oversee the company's leadership until his death in December 2016.
It was also during this period that grease and oil blenders at Schaeffer began to experiment with the use of molybdenum disulfide as an extreme pressure lubricant. Schaeffer was recognized for its use of molybdenum as a friction modifier in the 1986 publication of Lubes n Greases Magazine.
In 1986, Tom Hermann, the son of Jackie (Shields) Hermann, became the president of the company. At that time, annual sales were $18M, primarily in the agriculture and mining markets. Hermann expanded the markets to include steel manufacturing, food processing and industrial customers. In 2004, Jay Schaeffer Shields became the president of the company.
Today, Schaeffer Manufacturing Company is the oldest oil and grease manufacturer in the United States. The company was included[
Products
Schaeffer has developed energy conserving lubricants, as well as products that are designed for extended use, aiming to reduce negative impact on the environment and cut disposal costs. Schaeffer manufactures several fuel additives that are
Schaeffer manufactures
In 1991, Schaeffer donated lubricants specially designed for high contamination environments to the U.S. military for use in
Schaeffer products are primarily marketed directly to end users by their
Company structure
Schaeffer markets its products through factory trained, independent representatives that sell in particular areas around the United States and Canada. The domestic sales force is divided into 15 divisions supported by 12 warehouses that ship to end users. Sales representatives are paid on commission. Schaeffer has 53 Certified Lubrication Specialists (CLS). The
International sales are directed through independent
All manufacturing is done at the St. Louis facility.
References
- ^ "Schaeffer's Specialized Lubricants website".
- ^ ISBN 1-178-06898-6
- ^ a b c Perman, Stacey. "Learning from the Great Depression". Bloomberg Business Week, Oct 17, 2008. http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2008/sb20081016_825689.htm
- ^ a b Poe, William "Some Family Businesses Have Left the Family Corner Store Far Behind." St. Louis Commerce Magazine. November 2003. http://www.stlcommercemagazine.com/archives/november2003/family.html
- ISBN 0-8063-4950-6.
- ^ Peterson, Leslie Perry. The Bertrand Stores. Midwest Interpretive Association, 1997.
- ISBN 978-0-87062-426-1.
- ^ Gager, Russ. "Cooking Oil." Exploration & Processing. Spring 2010. Web. <http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/businessmedia/ep_2010spring/index.php>
- ^ Bush, George. Letter to Schaeffer Manufacturing Company. Mar. 1991. MS. The White House, Washington.
- ^ Cheney, Dick. "Certificate of Appreciation in Support of Operations in the Persian Gulf." Letter to John S. Shields, Schaeffer Manufacturing Company. Apr. 1991. MS.
- ^ GSA Contract. 2005. Contract number GS21F0012T.
- ^ "CLS Certification Directory. Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers website. 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2010.[1].