Two longtime leaders in lubricant distribution, Winchester, KY-based Apollo Oil and Asheboro, NC-based Pugh Lubricants have announced a merger creating an organization uniquely positioned to serve the growing automotive, trucking and industrial lubrication markets with an ability to support clients on a broad regional basis with a local touch.

The companies have very little overlap in geography, enabling Apollo and Pugh to continue operating as separate divisions while maintaining their historic company names in the near term, an affirmation of the commitment to customer relationships cultivated over more than one hundred years. The combination joins Pugh's service regions in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee with Apollo's service regions in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia under one company.

Pugh President Mike Pugh said, "Apollo has long been recognized for their commitment to excellent service which is the foundation of our industry. We share the same philosophy and the combination of our two companies reflects a proud history of nearly 140 years in business. We look forward to building upon that heritage together."

"The Pugh brand has long been admired and shares Apollo's values of service, quality, and integrity," said Ed Dotson the CFO and GM of Apollo. "This combination is a fitting legacy to the original founders of both companies, and we are very excited to join these two companies and deliver increased value to our customers by leveraging the experience, products and services of both organizations."

Mike Pugh and Ed Dotson will continue in their current leadership roles.

Pugh Lubricants is a distributor of nationally branded and private label finished lubricants, antifreeze, and other ancillary product lines throughout the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and portions of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

Apollo Oil is a distributor of nationally branded and private label finished lubricants, antifreeze, and other ancillary product lines throughout Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and portions of Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee.

According to its website Pugh Lubricants distributes Valvoline, Castrol, Phillips 66, Kendall, Royco, Anderol and other brands of lubricants. Apollo Oil, according to its website, distributes Valvoline, Shell, Castrol and other brands of lubricants.