Innovation and expansion have driven WCL’s success for over three decades

Neville Montague, National Sales Director FUCHS Lubricants South Africa.

Western Cape Lubricants (WCL) in Strand is celebrating 30 years as an independent distributor of FUCHS lubricants.

“This is a significant milestone for FUCHS, WCL and the industry in general,” said Andrew Cowling, Sales Director, FUCHS Lubricants South Africa. “It has developed the brand very well in the region.”

“From humble beginnings, WCL has grown into a significant distributor. Over the years, we have gradually developed our relationship, which continues to grow,” added Neville Montague, Country Sales Manager, FUCHS Lubricants South Africa.

WCL specializes in supplying the highest quality FUCHS mineral and synthetic lubricants to various industries, including automotive, agricultural, industrial, marine, mining and environmental protection.

Three decades later, WCL is one of the largest distributors in the Western Cape. Providing cost-effective options, it prides itself on its expertise in sales, administration, logistics and engineering. The company’s stated mission is to maintain an unparalleled standard of service and technical support to its valued customers, in line with best practices and FUCHS standards throughout the distribution network.

WCL was founded in 1994 when Ziegfriedt Loots decided to distribute William Penn products in the Western Cape. With just a bakkie and a driver, the company gradually began to penetrate a market that was then very new to the region. Loots’ experience as a mechanical engineer opened the door to the emerging automotive industry.

His first location was a workshop on Daniel Street before moving to his current facility on the corner of Gerber Boulevard and Potgieter Street in Gants Plaza. The growing success of the company led to a personal visit to the FUCHS SE headquarters in Mannheim, Germany.

Since then, important milestones for the distributor have been the FUCHS Lubricants “Titan” Big Foot advertising campaign in 2001, the name change to WCL in 2003 and a further foray into Namibia under the name Namibia Lubricants in 2004. This expansion continued with the establishment of Garden Route Lubricants in 2005, which expanded WCL’s presence in the region.

Cowling emphasises that WCL has done a great job so far in developing the FUCHS brand in the Western Cape. From its initial husband-and-wife team, WCL has gradually grown into one of the largest FUCHS distributors in the country. “WCL fundamentally developed the Western Cape market for FUCHS,” Montague said, “a journey we continue to share and look forward to another 30-year milestone in our partnership.”

The benefit of being a FUCHS distributor, and what ensures such a long-term partnership, is the wide range of products available and our investment in research and development, which allows us to create innovative new products for various market segments.

“We are constantly introducing new developments in lubrication technology and introducing new products to fill niches and cover other sectors,” says Cowling. “As a distributor, there are so many opportunities you can explore. Our brand has grown in parallel, as has our presence in South Africa, while long-standing partnerships such as WCL have also continued to thrive.”

Andrew Cowling, Sales Director FUCHS Lubricants South Africa.