Hartville business buys rail line, looking to expand and aid Portage County businesses
Derek Kreider, Record-Courier
The unused rail spur at 341 W. Oak St. in Kent has a new owner: Renewable Lubricants, a 30-year-old family-owned and -operated company. The purchase has the potential to benefit not only Renewable Lubricants, but Portage County businesses as well.
The Hartville-based business manufactures environmentally friendly lubricants, greases and cleaners primarily from high-oleic vegetable oils. All of its manufacturing happens in-house.
“We make racing engine oils, high-performance engine oils, diesel engine oils; we make air tool oils, industrial circulating oils and metal working fluids,” said Vice President Ben Garmier, who represents the second generation of leadership at the business. The company also makes food-grade, petroleum-free lubricants for food manufacturers like Kellogg’s or Donatos Pizza, for example.