Brand background Quaker State's origins may be traced to the founding of
Oil City in
Pennsylvania, in the 19th century. The
petroleum industry of the city brought prosperity, increasing its population from 12 families in 1860 to 6,000 five years later. The name "Quaker State" was adopted in 1912 when T.G. Phinny (owner of the Phinny Brothers Oil Company) used it to distinguish his products from competitors. One of the first goals of the company was to provide lubricants for
Franklin Automotive Company of
Syracuse, New York, signing a contract to become exclusive oil provider for the company. By 1915, Quaker State advertised in
The Saturday Evening Post becoming a known brand in the U.S.
Company formation In 1924, the Eastern Refining Company" purchased the
Quaker State brand name to rename itself "Quaker State Oil Refining Company". On July 1, 1931, the "Quaker State Corporation" was formed when Charles Pape, stockbroker from Chicago, brought 19 regional oil companies, offering them 55,000 shares in the new corporation that resulted after they merge their business. Some of the companies involved were the Eastern Refining Company, Sterling Oil Company of West Virginia, Ohio Valley Refining Company, Enterprise Oil Company Inc., Independent Refining Company, Lake Erie Lubricants Inc., Iron City Oil Company, Gallagher Bros. Inc., and Appaline Oil Company. In 2002,
Shell Oil Company (the US-based
subsidiary of
Royal Dutch Shell) acquired Pennzoil-Quaker State. At the moment of the purchase, Pennzoil-Quaker was the largest motor oil manufacturer in the United States. On the other side, Shell expected to become leader in the U.S. and global lubricants markets. == Sponsorship ==