October 4, 2018 Formulating Success

Volume 21 | Issue 5

BG Products provides automotive professionals with maintenance products and equipment to improve fuel efficiency and long-term reliability.

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BG Products is a homegrown company that keeps on growing. Last July, this manufacturer of professional-use products and equipment represented the state of Kansas at the Made in America Product Showcase hosted at the White House. “We were humbled to be chosen for this prestigious honor. I’m thankful for all the wonderful people who are part of BG, in Kansas and all around the world,” comments President and CEO Darin Greseth.

This past August, BG broke ground for a new 145,000-square-foot warehousing and distribution facility near its existing distribution center in El Dorado, Kan. This follows the current construction of a new 34,000-square-foot BG Technology and Training Center at BG corporate headquarters in Wichita, Kan. According to Alana McNary, Director of Human Resources, “Over the last six years, BG Products has doubled its workforce. We have several large-scale projects in progress and are excited about the growth and opportunities ahead as we continue to build our team.”

An automotive aftermarket supplier of products and tools provided through a worldwide distributor network to dealers, repair shops and franchises, BG services maintain fuel systems, engines, transmissions, brakes, power steering, cooling, battery, drive line and climate control systems. The company’s continued expansion and market dominance is the result of a nearly 50-year history of chemistry, training and team effort.

“We make high quality products with the proper tools to use them, backed up by the latest research and development,” Greseth emphasizes. BG is ISO 9001:2015 certified for quality, as well as ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management and OHSAS 18001:2007 certified for safety. The BG Tools and Equipment Division is AS9100 certified. Major aerospace manufacturers and suppliers worldwide require compliance and/or registration to AS9100 as a condition of doing business with them.

The performance of any BG fuel additive or treatment system is scientifically tested by BG chemists and automotive technicians. In addition, BG fuel additives pass ASTM International standards.

New formulas are engineered in BG’s Research and Development Lab and tested at the BG Proving Ground. “Applying research to actual driving conditions helps us tailor preventive maintenance programs to meet individual customers’ needs,” Greseth says.

As an example, BG acquired a 2010 Ford Taurus with a 3.5L EcoBoost® twin-turbocharged direct injection V6 and ran a borescope scan of the fuel system over the course of some 60,000 miles. The test concluded:

Until design improvements address the negative contribution made by crankcase vapors (which create intake deposits), Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines will continue to have intake deposit buildup issues. GDI engines simply lack the necessary and traditional fuel rinsing afforded by indirect injector spray. The high heat environment experienced by the fuel injector tip is also a major contributor to drivability issues.

Comparing engine performance during periods using BG 44K® and not using the fuel additive, borescope videos indicated use of the fuel additive cleaned up piston top and injector deposits. There was also an 8.2 gain in horsepower and 20 foot pound gain in torque after using BG products.

Lifetime Protection

BG doesn’t just say the research supports its products’ claims. BG services are backed by the Lifetime BG Protection Plan®. BG services clean, condition and extend component life, and should any part fail, BG will cover the cost of repair or replacement. For example, if an eligible customer purchases the BG Power Steering Service, repair of lubricated parts are covered up to $4,000 for the life of the vehicle.

Another crucial differentiator is BG’s relationship with its customers. “We’re also in the business of educating automotive professionals on how best to improve the fuel efficiency and long-term maintenance of their customers’ vehicles,” Greseth says. “We have 116 distributors, 61 in the United States and the rest in more than 60 countries internationally. BG Sales Reps are calling regularly on automotive shops and dealers to provide the latest technologies and methods that best maintain consumer vehicles. We also train service advisors to convey best practices and train technicians in the best use of our services.”

“BG’s mission,” says Content Strategy Manager Danielle Wallace, “is to help automotive professionals educate vehicle owners on how to take care of their vehicles. If the benefits of preventive maintenance were common knowledge, vehicle owners wouldn’t hesitate to make the best decision for their vehicles.”

Unique Manufacturing

BG’s one-of-a-kind manufacturing facilities are located on 40 acres in El Dorado, spanning a distance of three football fields. It includes two tank fields—one for finished product and the other for raw materials—containing nearly 900,000 gallons. The tanks can receive product from either rail cars or tanker trucks. Production lines built for optimal efficiency and speed handle everything from 1-ounce bottles to 330-pound totes.

“We use automation where appropriate,” Greseth notes. Automated controls reduce error while also increasing production. For example, an automated blending system delivers components at 150 gallons per minute to a finished product tank.

Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges

Automotive technology has made tremendous advances since the company’s founding in 1971, and BG has been lock step in keeping up with new technologies and developing the appropriate treatments and maintenance tools. “We expect to see greater adoption of hybrid gas-electric systems, and we continue to develop new products specifically for hybrid vehicles,” Greseth says.

Greseth notes that OEMs will sometimes approach BG to help solve a problem. “We have had several situations over the years that we were able to resolve with BG Products.”

In the last ten years, BG has also developed more of an international presence. “Right now I’d say 80 percent of our market is still in North America, but we’re starting to focus more on overseas markets. For example, we just opened a wholly-owned subsidiary in China.”

Expansion of BG facilities both here and abroad, coupled with the continuous development of advanced training and new technologies, allow BG Products to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the auto industry and continue to provide the best solutions in preventive maintenance.

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