Shell upgrades ProServ

Royal Dutch Shell has spent 270 million baht (US$8.05 million) to upgrade its Shell ProServ lubricant business at 360 of its 620 service stations nationwide, according to Pissawan Achanapornkul, chairwoman of Shell Companies of Thailand. “We decided to spend a lot of money during the economic slowdown because we want to make sure our sales volume and value could be maintained amid tougher competition and to strengthen our lube product brand name to serve the rise in demand when the economy rebounds,” she said. The company earlier sold its Shell Autoserv car-care business to the tyremaker Bridgestone, which has renamed the outlets ACT, but Shell ProServ lubricant products remain the local market leader with a 21% share, followed by PTT PLC with 16-17%. (August 14, 2009)