1874

Walker Brothers Oil founded by John and William Walker. The business came from the discovery of commercially exploitable deposits of crude oil in the seam of a local colliery.

1900

The CENTURY trade name commemorates the turn of the century, when Walker Brothers Oils moved from the original Cobridge site to a new one a quarter of a mile away from Hanley.

1908

Dalton and Company founded by William Dalton. They manufacture and sell veterinary products to local farmers. Later, Mr Dalton realised there was potential in selling lubricants for farmers’ machinery and began developing oils for the motor industry.

1928

Walker Brothers Oil became William Walker and Sons (Hanley) Limited and until the end of the Second World War the company principally traded in the Midlands and North of England supplying lubricants and associated products to local industry and, in particular, local mining companies.

1931

Rudolf Fuchs, founds the RUDOLF FUCHS company in Mannheim. The company import and sell high-quality Pennsylvanian refinery products, and begin the development of a regional motor oil business.

1931

Following rapid expansion, Dalton and Company commission a new oil refinery in Derby Road, Belper, where the company stays until June 2000.

1936

The RUDOLF FUCHS company starts in-house production of lubricants.

1939

Dalton and Company Limited realise the potential of establishing a re-refining service for used aero engine oils.

1956

Walker Brothers become a public company under the name Walkers (Century Oils) Limited.

1962

Dalton and Company Limited are the first plant in the UK to manufacture pharmaceutical and cosmetic quality jellies in the UK. The ‘Silkolene’ name was born as a range of petroleum jellies.

1968

FUCHS take the first steps towards becoming an international company with the founding of subsidiaries in France and Spain.

1971

CENTURY acquire Snowdrift Lubricants Limited, principally trading in the South and South-West of England and manufacturing a range of products including engine coolants and automotive lubricants.

1973

CENTURY acquire Amicoil Limited, and started to move into the waste oil reclamation business.

1975

CENTURY start the construction of a second refinery in Dartford (Kent).

1976

CENTURY acquire Sterckx et Cie SA, a lubricant manufacture and distributing company based in Brussels, plus A P Oil (Europe) SA, with a view to extending European business.

1976

CENTURY also establish A P Oil (UK) Limited to supply wholesale lubricant base oils and other raw materials around the UK.

1976

CENTURY become the largest independent lubricant company in the UK, and one of the largest independent lubricant producers in Europe.

1982

The Silkolene brand fully enters the motorsport world with Silkolene rally teams and a long-term sponsorship agreement with Honda UK’s motorcycle race team.

1985

FUCHS launched on the stock exchange. Listing of preference shares on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges.

1989

FUCHS Group buy the share capital of Silkolene Lubricants plc.

1990

Dalton and Company Limited officially change their name to Silkolene Lubricants Plc.

1991

FUCHS acquire CENTURY OILS.

1996

1st January 1996: Silkolene Lubricants Plc and Century Oils are incorporated under the name of FUCHS Lubricants (UK) plc.

1998

FUCHS becomes the UK’s first lubricant company to achieve quality standard QS9000.

2000

FUCHS Petrolub AG becomes the world’s largest independent lubricant supplier, with sales of 900 million Euros and 4,000 employees.

2000

Belper site closed and employees are transferred to the Hanley plant.

2005

FUCHS acquire the Ovoline Lubricants business from North East based business Brett Oils Ltd.

2013

1st January 2013, the FUCHS Lubritech UK division is transferred to FUCHS Lubricants UK.

2014

FUCHS Lubricants UK acquire Batoyle Freedom Group whose portfolio includes specialist lubricants, greases and oils for the Automotive, Glass, Industrial, Textile and Tube & Wire industries.

2017

New offices open in Hanley. Design based on Mannheim HQ.

2018

FUCHS UK acquire VDV Glassline Lubricants of Belgium.