Petroleum Trends International, Inc. – Publishers of JobbersWorld
July 10, 2025
Dilmar Oil Company
Headquartered in Florence, South Carolina, Dilmar Oil Company has been a leader in lubrication distribution and services since its founding in 1932 by Robert Earle Atkinson. With 218 employees across 10 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, Dilmar serves a broad range of industries including automotive, industrial, transportation, aviation, and agriculture.
Today, Dilmar’s core focus remains providing full-service lubrication solutions for businesses. The company’s capabilities extend well beyond oil distribution to include oil reclamation, filtration, lube education, equipment rentals, tank monitoring, and a suite of technical support services—all designed to help customers optimize performance, improve operational efficiency, and protect critical assets.
A key pillar of Dilmar Oil Company’s reputation for excellence is its enduring partnership with Shell, serving as an authorized distributor since the 1930s. This long-standing alliance underscores Dilmar’s commitment to delivering premium lubrication solutions. Complementing its Shell offering, Dilmar also provides a comprehensive portfolio that includes Citgo, Motorcraft, and other trusted brands—ensuring customers across all sectors have consistent access to high-quality, industry-leading products.
A defining element of Dilmar Oil Company’s service offering is its SUPPLYPRO® division—a fully integrated operation providing in-house blending, packaging, and manufacturing. This capability allows Dilmar to deliver private-label brands such as BOSS®, OILPRO®, TIMBERLINE® OUTDOOR OILS, CLEAR-TECH® Windshield Wash, Arctiq® Coolants, and TruDEF®, enabling customers to access products tailored to their specific needs and applications.
Leading SUPPLYPRO® is Executive Vice President Tom Watson, a respected industry veteran with over 20 years of leadership experience at Petro-Canada America. Known for his strategic focus and ability to build high-performing teams, Watson brings valuable expertise to the division, positioning it to support long-term growth and deliver increased value to Dilmar’s customers.
Complementing its robust distribution and manufacturing operations, Dilmar Oil Company delivers added value through Dilmar Fluid Services (DFS)—a dedicated division focused on enhancing equipment reliability and operational efficiency. DFS offers a comprehensive suite of services, including oil reclamation, reservoir and bulk tank cleaning, filtration and flushing, turnkey sampling and analysis programs, on-site reliability support, and expert technical consultation. By empowering customers to adopt a proactive approach to lubrication maintenance, DFS helps reduce unplanned downtime, extend fluid life, and lower total lubricant-related costs.
Built on a foundation of deep field experience and technical knowledge, the DFS team works closely with operations and maintenance leaders to implement data-driven strategies that yield measurable performance improvements and cost savings.
Unlike many competitors who have heavily relied on private equity to fuel expansion, Dilmar’s story has been one of steady, organic growth rooted in strong family values and a commitment to customer service. Over the decades, the company strategically expanded its footprint across the Southeast, growing customer relationships market by market. Dilmar Oil presently runs 10 sites across North and South Carolina, as well as Georgia and Tennessee.
Over the past 25 years, Dilmar Oil Company has executed a purposeful and strategic evolution, driven by targeted investments, market discipline, and a clear focus on long-term growth. Originally structured as a diversified enterprise with interests spanning real estate and retail, the company—under the leadership of Robert Earle Atkinson II—owned and operated the successful Food Chief convenience store chain, a multimillion-dollar retail asset. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the strategic divestiture of this business released substantial capital, enabling Dilmar to concentrate its resources and leadership on expanding and strengthening its core oil operations.
This strategic pivot enabled the company to expand geographically into previously untapped markets including Charlotte, NC; Wilmington, NC; and Atlanta, GA—marking a major milestone in Dilmar’s evolution toward oil distribution and the growth of its service division, Dilmar Fluid Services.
In the years following its regional expansion, Dilmar Oil Company executed a series of strategic tuck-in acquisitions designed to complement and strengthen its existing footprint. A key milestone came in early 2017 with the acquisition of Thompson Lubricants in Goldsboro, North Carolina, enhancing Dilmar’s service capabilities in a key market.
Following this period of expansion, Dilmar made a deliberate shift inward—pausing acquisition activity to focus on operational excellence. The company prioritized process refinement, investment in advanced technologies, and the development of a high-performing team. This internal focus has positioned Dilmar for sustained growth and long-term success, ensuring it remains responsive to evolving customer needs while maintaining the high standards that define its legacy.
That groundwork set the stage for the company’s most transformative move yet: the 2024 acquisition of Taylor Enterprises, Inc. This milestone brought together two legacy-rich lubricant distributors and positioned Dilmar as a more competitive and robust force across the Southeast.
Founded in 1973 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Taylor Enterprises steadily expanded under the leadership of the Taylor family. In 2003, the company merged with Petroleum World to form Southeastern Lubricants, extending its geographic reach across the Carolinas. In 2006, Eric Taylor became majority owner, reestablished the Taylor Enterprises name, and led the company’s continued growth into Georgia and Tennessee. That trajectory culminated in 2021 with the acquisition of Clear Fuel, a DEF supplier based in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The union of Dilmar and Taylor Enterprises in 2024 marks a defining chapter in the company’s history—strengthening its market presence, enriching its capabilities, and reinforcing its commitment to delivering best-in-class lubrication solutions across the region.
“The Taylor acquisition has provided scale to our existing footprint and opened the door to new markets, which aligns well with our objective to be a dominant player in the Southeast. We are focused on enhancing our competitive advantages and building new solutions for our customer base, along with building a great internal culture that translates over to an exceptional customer experience,” said Wade B. Stephens, president of Dilmar Oil Company.
While Taylor Enterprises marks Dilmar’s largest and most recent acquisition to date, the company’s expansion has also been supported by a number of previous acquisitions, as shown below:
Since its founding 93 years ago, Dilmar Oil Company has remained a family-owned and operated business, now with the fourth generation actively involved in its leadership. In an industry increasingly defined by consolidation and external investment, Dilmar’s steadfast commitment to family ownership distinguishes it from many competitors. This continuity fosters organizational stability, a long-term strategic vision, and a deeply personal dedication to customer success—cornerstones that have cemented Dilmar’s reputation for reliability and excellence over nearly a century.
“As our company prepares to celebrate 100 years of being in business, we are proud to have built the strong leadership team we have across the company. Our recent acquisition of Taylor brought two of the finest lubricant distributors in the Southeast together. This further solidifies our continuing commitment to serving customers and suppliers in this rapidly evolving and competitive energy marketplace,” said Kyle Daniele, executive vice president.
In recent years, Dilmar has sharpened its focus on bringing in high-level talent with deep lubrication industry experience. The company has built a team of technical advisors who work alongside customers to offer not just products, but true lubrication solutions. This technical knowledge, paired with personalized service, has solidified Dilmar’s position as a trusted partner rather than just a vendor.
“Great businesses are built by great people,” said Rob Campbell, president of Dilmar Holdings. “The growth we’ve experienced opens the door for us to continue attracting top talent—people who want to be part of something special. We’re building a business where the best in the industry come to grow, thrive, and make an impact.”
Dilmar’s strength today is rooted in its enduring family values, unwavering commitment to quality customer service, and the synergistic capabilities resulting from its partnership with Taylor Lubricants. This collaboration enables Dilmar to offer customers the combined advantages of two industry leaders, including an extensive product portfolio, custom-blending capabilities, technical expertise, and a genuine dedication to supporting each customer’s success.
As the company continues to grow, it remains guided by the same foundational principles that have defined its legacy for nearly a century: fostering strong relationships, delivering tailored solutions, and earning trust—one customer at a time. This steadfast commitment has enabled Dilmar to become a Titan in lubricant distribution, respected for its leadership, reliability, and industry expertise.