There were blue skies and sunshine Tuesday as LSI staff welcomed a couple hundred visitors to their new building on State Route 95 at the I-71 interchange.
Visitors at the Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) open house were amazed that the new, state-of-the art, $2.2 million facility began in a Morrow County pole barn.
The LSI lead tech person, Bo Griffith gave tours of the building with Maintenance Coordinator, Ron Williams.
Open House guests were able to look into every nook and cranny of the 24,000 sq. ft. warehouse and 10,000 sq. ft. offices that include a large conference room, cafeteria and rooms for sales and marketing as well as managers and accountants. One unique room is the lab that reminded visitors that LSI and its products are “powered by science.”
Business Development Director, Jim Kamnikar gave a history of how the company’s flagship product, Hot Shot’s Secret Stiction Eliminator began in 2004. Gabrelcik developed the diesel oil additive for International Truck and Engine to resolve the issue with injectors on the Ford Powerstroke 6L Engine.
The LSI product line has grown to include: Friction Reducer, Diesel Extreme, Diesel Winter Anti-gel, TBN Booster, Everyday Diesel Treatment (EDT), and Blue Diamond. They have also added the Franz Filter, Oil Analysis Service and Antifreeze Recycling to their business initiatives.
LSI products are sold all over the United States and Canada. They are also extending their sales to other countries as well as continuing to develop new products and services.
The ribbon cutting ceremony opened with Reverend Kevin Lutz giving the invocation. Morrow County Auditor, Pat Davies introduced Gabrelcik’s family and reminisced about the days just a few years ago when she met with the family the first time. The business was carried on in the barn and the family was the production team.
Davies expressed appreciation for Gabrelcik’s hard work and said this kind of business initiative is “what makes Ohio great. “We can be proud that it started right here in Morrow County.”
Gabrelcik expressed both gratitude and a feeling of humble pride for the success of the business over the past few years.
“It’s most exciting that we’ve built a family, Gabrelcik said. “We’ve grown from my wife and six kids to a family of 26.”Gabrelcik added that it is their intention to continue growth and improvement for LSI and its customers.
