questions
10
for lubricants professionals
W
e trace lubricants professionals
who have made immense contributions to the growth and development of the industry and get their opinions on
various issues. Mr. Jonathan Njine is one such
professional who has and still continues to
make notable contribution to the lubricants
industry. We asked him 10 questions outlining his journey though the industry and his
views on where the industry is headed.
1.
Tell us when you started
your career in lubricants.
I started my career in lubricants 15 years ago.
2.
How many companies
have you worked for and in what
positions?
I have worked in Mobil as a Lubes engineer, a
technical manager for the East Africa cluster,
and as the quality and technical services
manager for East & Southern Africa cluster
and most recently as the technical manager
for Africa at Libya Oil. Currently, I’m the
Managing Director of Lubesol Kenya Limited.
3.
I see you are still active in
the lubricants industry
Yes, I’m still very actively involved.
4.
Which were some of your
most memorable moments in
your career in the early years?
This must have been the opportunity to
redesign a cement kiln and cement mill girth
gear lubrication system from a grease system
to a high viscosity synthetic lubricant system
(ISO VG 6800 )and hence reducing the plant
annual consumption from about 30 drums of
grease to 2 drums of the synthetic product.
5.
During those early times,
how was the country developing
lubricants professionals?
We had local and international trainings
that were initially general lubricant training
and later sector-specific. For example, I was
26
trained on power plants, cement plants,
manned and aviation compressors among
others. The training was both theoretical and
practical and was offered in different parts of
the world.
6.
How was the industry then
compared to now?
Previously, there were just a few players in
the market and the drive was to maximise
the customer’s experience with the lubricant
by saving them money through technical
support. Today however, there are many more
players in the market all competing for the
same clients and therefore making the market
more price-driven.
7.
How competitive was the
market then?
9.
Looking at the market then
and now, what is your comment
in regards to quality and regulations in the lubricants industry?
Unfortunately, the regulations have not been
air tight. There are plen Hو