Penrite marks a century with Golden Era gala

Penrite Oil wrapped up its 100 year celebrations with the Golden Era Gala at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building in September, bringing together 900+ staff, customers, partners and industry friends to mark a century of the Australian-made, family-owned business.

The gala capped a national series of Golden Era Celebrations that began in Brisbane in June before moving through New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Founded in Melbourne in 1926, Penrite has grown from a small local business into a lubricant brand supplying retail, trade, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. It is now expanding into new product categories, including filters.

It was a night fitting for the milestone. Penrite memorabilia filled the historic venue, with race cars and classic cars on display alongside the tables. Grant Denyer took on MC duties and one of the highlights was time on stage with the Dymond family, who shared plenty of stories from the company’s journey. A silent auction raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity, while live entertainment kept guests on their feet.

CEO Toby Dymond said the milestone was about honouring the company’s history while looking ahead.

“Penrite has always been built on quality, trust and long-term relationships. As an Australian made and family-owned business, we are proud of where we have come from, but we are also focused on where we are heading next,” he said.

Afton Chemical came on board as Dymond Sponsor for the celebration series. The company supplies the additive technology used across Penrite’s engine oils, driveline fluids, fuels and industrial lubricants, and has been Penrite’s additive partner for more than 40 years.

Sean Spencer, Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific at Afton Chemical, said the partnership was one the company valued.

“Afton Chemical is proud to have contributed to this journey and to celebrate the success of Penrite Oil and the Dymond family,” he said.

Penrite’s Production Planning and Scheduling Manager Bill Paliouras said Afton’s technical expertise had played an important part in keeping product quality consistent over the life of the partnership.

A hundred years on, Penrite remains family-owned and, in the company’s words, still driven.