Penrite Oil, an iconic Australian family-owned business, is proud to announce a revamp of its product labels to celebrate a century of commitment to quality and excellence.
The new product packaging will prominently feature the 100-year logo that signifies a remarkable legacy built on trust and innovation in Australian manufacturing.
For nearly 100 years, Penrite has served as a trusted brand and partner for Australian motorists, providing world-class lubricants and products specifically designed to withstand the harshest Australian conditions. The company’s relentless dedication to excellence has established it as the preferred choice for generations of drivers who depend on Penrite products to maintain their vehicles’ performance.
Established in 1926, Penrite Oil is a leading manufacturer of premium lubricants and automotive products. Family-owned and operated, Penrite takes pride in its Australian roots and commitment to supporting local manufacturing.
Penrite’s redesigned product packaging will not only incorporate the celebratory 100th-anniversary logo but will also include a QR code located in the top right-hand corner, adjacent to the owner, Margaret Dymond’s signature.
Customers can scan this code to gain direct access to the Penrite website, where they can explore the rich history and significant milestones that have shaped the organisation over the past century.
The updated design will also be rolled out across the 60L drums, ensuring a consistent brand presence across the entire product range.
The roll-out of the new labelling is set to occur over the coming months, with select products already available on retail shelves sporting the updated design.
“Our new labels are more than packaging – they tell the story of a proud Australian company built on family values, hard work, and a century of delivering excellence. It feels great that we can share this legacy with our suppliers and customers,” said Prisicilla Robb, Head of Strategy & Customer Engagement, Penrite Oil.
100 years of history
Les Mecoles founded Penrite in the 1920s, while he was still at high school. He began importing oils from overseas and acting as an agent for established brands.
He officially launched his own company on his 16th birthday, March 6, 1926.
While selling well-known oil products, Les worked to establish his own brand, blending oil on his mother’s kitchen stove at the family home in St Kilda, Melbourne.
For deliveries he’d use his father’s wheelbarrow, eventually turning to a courier service as his customer base grew. Apparently Les sold his prized leather jacket to fund his first batch of oil.
In the early years of his business, Les ran a petrol service station in Caulfield, selling oil and petrol from the kerbside; before eventually opening his first factory in Richmond in 1932.
From there, Les continued to grow the business, acquiring additional properties to import, distribute, and manufacture his own oil under the name L.H. Mecoles Oil Merchant.
His brother Stan joined the business in 1934, to help further grow the business.
Les decided his business needed a unique name. He submitted an application for Oil-Rite, but as it turned out, the name was already taken. So instead it was named Pen-Rite – combining ‘Pen’ for Pennsylvania crude oil, considered to be the best at the time, and ‘Rite’ for the ‘right’ oil.
The Penrite name was registered in 1936 and the company became a member of the Pennsylvanian Grade Crude Oil Association, which allowed Les to import 100 per cent pure Pennsylvanian Crude Oil, used to blend his oils with the finest base oils available worldwide.
In the 1970s, Les’ health declined, after twice battling cancer. With no children to pass Penrite onto, he decided to sell the business. A young oil additives supplier named John Dymond and his wife Margaret finalised the deal on August 23, 1979.
Today, Penrite is run by the next generation of Dymond family members. Toby Dymond serves as CEO, with various other family members in senior roles within the business.
For more information, visit penriteoil.com.au.