Schaeffer Manufacturing acquires Hicks Oils lubricant plant

Schaeffer Manufacturing announced it acquired an Illinois lubricant manufacturing and packaging facility from Hicks Oils. The acquisition provides added capacity and redundancy to support Schaeffer’s growth.

Hicks Oils’ production facility is located in DuQuoin, Illinois with more than one million gallons of bulk storage capacity and 145,000 square feet of warehouse space. With dedicated pumps, meters, piping and tanks Hicks Oils can meet virtually any volume requirement on bulk products, according to its website.

“Expansion is essential as we’ve steadily grown with strong customer relationships,” said Schaeffer’s Jim Carroll, executive vice president of strategic expansion and product technology. Locating production in Du Quoin, Illinois, ensures supply continuity and boosts output immediately with the turnkey operation.

Schaeffer will retain all Hicks Oils employees at the plant. “They have valuable expertise to ensure quality and reliability,” Carroll said.

The deal allows Schaeffer to seamlessly continue serving Hicks’ customer base. “We welcome those customers and are ready to support them,” Carroll added.

Founded in 1839, Schaeffer Manufacturing is a sixth-generation family-owned company based in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.

Hicks Oils was formed in 1978 to serve the lubricant needs of Southern Illinois coal mines. Hicks Oils blends and packages motor oil, hydraulic fluid, gear lubes, transmission fluids and various specialty lubricants. Private label packaging was one of the company’s top priorities.