F
uel oil marketers and dealers who
already market Bioheat® blends can
extend their "green" franchise by
adding soy-based lubricants and
cleaners to their lineup of deliverables (if
they distribute lubricants), as well as using
them in their own maintenance opera-
tions, manufacturers of the products and a
former fleet manager said.
Chris Case, retired from the U.S. Park
Service after a 38-year career and now
representing the United Soybean Board
(USB), said he used soy-based lubricants
and cleaners in his job as a facility manager
at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in
Michigan, where he oversaw biofluid sub-
stitution in fleet operations. He also visited
other national parks to educate peers in the
same products and practices.
USB, a trade group of soy bean growers,
oversees spending of funds raised through
a check-off program. The funds are used in
part to support education and outreach, said
Case, who describes himself as a "sustain-
ability coach." He visits fleets and speaks
at trade shows and conferences, such as
AltWheels Fleet Day, a meeting of corpo-
rate and municipal fleet managers that was
held in October in Norwood, Mass. More
information is available at the USB website:
soybiobased.org.
"We don't sell products directly," Case
said of himself and the USB, "but we pro-
mote their use. A lot of organizations and a
lot of businesses are trying to do more sus-
tainable things. They're trying to green up
their operations." The reasons for doing so
include "planetary hygiene," Case noted,
and there is a marketing element. People
want to see green. "It doesn't necessarily cost
a lot more. It doesn't take a lot of effort. It's
just a matter of people being aware of differ-
ent products and different practices that are
available," he said.
20 December 2014 | FUeL OIL NeWS | www.fueloilnews.com
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Going Greener
Soy-based lubricants and parts cleaners
can extend being green beyond Bioheat
By Stephen Bennett
Photo courtesy of United Soybean Board
