The Deja Lube dream started in July 2019 when David Condron came across an opportunity to be a self-employed greasing system installation contractor, servicing Victorian truck dealerships by fitting greasing systems to all makes and models of trucks, trailers, earthmoving equipment and agricultural machinery.
Bringing two decades of experience in greasing systems, Condron’s customers were kept satisfied. Not only did Deja Lube have the products to supply and install, it also had an experienced team to support and service the grease systems as required.
Since he started the business, Condron was keen to begin importing his own branded grease system, which would enable him to provide customers with even greater levels of support – with a high quality product being fitted and fully backed by Deja Lube as one entity.
As the journey continued, Condron set off to the other side of the world to a small industrial town called Gorchim in the Netherlands. After over eight months of searching, he found a business called Sterk, which manufactured and supplied greasing systems made of 304 stainless steel. Condron couldn’t believe this type of product existed – and that it was yet to reach Australian shores.
Sterk is a quality brand, built to last, with a robust stainless steel body and UV treated clear reservoir that comes in a 4kg or 6kg grease capacity; ticking all the boxes for the Australian transport industry.
The Sterk brand is used extensively worldwide, in North America, Canada, South Africa and throughout Europe. The biggest drawcard for Condron was the simplicity of the system. As he explained, “Mechanics and workshops in the Australian transport industry need a simple, easy to use diagnostic product that doesn’t have a heap of buttons, warning lights, etc, to assist, as these can become a problem to drivers and mechanics.
“The Sterk system has a basic dial type controller in the cab which is fitted near the fuse panel so it’s easy to find and the grease pump itself is fitted with an easy to read pressure gauge which displays to mechanics that it’s doing a cycle.”
As the business has continued to grow, Deja Lube has appointed two installation technicians in Victoria who look after the state’s dealerships. They share a combined 20 years of experience.
As a business owner, Condron says his technicians have helped to bring the business to a whole new level, due to the quality installations the team undertakes on a daily basis.
“We are currently celebrating our 150th Sterk greasing system being installed, which is such a huge milestone for the Deja Lube team,” Condron added.
“We just can’t believe we have achieved this number so quickly and the response from our customers has been so positive, which gives us so much confidence moving forward with the brand.”
The system runs an EP-0 type grease due to it being an injected grease system. Having measured injectors that feed the grease point requires a lighter viscosity grease so it can penetrate through onto the pin surface effortlessly.
After investigating the grease type, Deja Lube found a grease manufactured and blended in Melbourne that does the job well, exceeding expectations. Condron says the grease has high tack ingredients that ensure the oil in the grease is stuck to the surface longer. It also has a high temperature drop rate so even in temperatures of up to 170°C, the soap and oil stay intact. And that’s exactly what is required for the harsh climates that we have here in Australia. The beauty of this grease is that it’s always readily available and it doesn’t carry a high price tag.
The Sterk product is fully backed by a three-year pump warranty and if customers use the Deja Lube grease they will receive a further one-year warranty on top of that.
“This warranty has been selected because we want to ensure our customers know they are making the right decision to use our product on their vehicles,” Condron said.
Deja Lube has installers located in Queensland, NSW, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.