About Universal Oil
Universal Oil has been supplying premium fuel and industrial lubricants to businesses in Greater Cleveland for over 145 years! We pride ourselves in our industry expertise, the highest quality products, and top tier services.
We are an 100% employee-owned company under an employee stock ownership plan since 2007. Every single one of our employees, from our drivers to the president, collect company stock. Customers can expect a higher sense of commitment and responsibility from our employees.
Building Reliable Relationships Through:
The History of Universal Oil, Inc.
1877 – The Beginning
William H. Compton, a Union Civil War Veteran, founded Union Oil Company over 145 years ago, long before automobiles became popular. This company would eventually become Universal Oil Inc. as we know it today. Following William’s death in 1909, his daughter, Bessie Compton Johnson inherited the business and succeeded as President. Fun fact: Bessie was President of Universal Oil before women had the right to vote in the State of Ohio.
1909-1970 – Acquisition and automobiles
Union Oil was acquired by Parker Refining Company, founded by Albert Mendelsohn. They produced and sold paint, roof coating, greases, and similar maintenance products. With the invention of the automobile, gasoline and automotive lubricants became its bread and butter.
1970 – A Name Change
The rights to the name “Union Oil” were purchased unexpectedly by another company in Pennsylvania. We changed our name to “Universal Oil, Incorporated”. We announced this name change to customers with this flyer!
2007 – employee Ownership Begins
The Mendelsohn family turned over their ownership of Universal Oil and the company became 100% employee owned through the Employee Owned Stock Ownership Program.
2018 – Continued Expansion
We officially doubled our space by acquiring a nearby maintenance facility. This gave us the ability to service our fleet in-house.
Present
From horse drawn wagons to semi-trucks, a lot has changed in our business and the world around us in 145+ years. However, the one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to being the most reliable provider of high quality products and services.
