Industry Insights | Ft. Jeff Green 1

In this edition of Industry Insights we talk to Blud Lubricants owner Jeff Green about his history in the oil business and what sets his company apart. Jeff has a passion for motorsports and his company, Blud Lubricants, is a product of that passion. 

For the full interview, check out the Vital MX podcast right here. If you're interested in the condensed written version, scroll down just a bit further.

Jamie Guida - Vital MX: Where did you grow up, and what’s your background in motorsports?

Jeff Green: I’m an old guy, so it’s a long history. I hope I don’t bore you. I was born and raised in Georgia and went to the University of Georgia. I’m a Bulldog through and through. As far as how I got into it, my father was a fantastic engine builder, and we grew up racing motorcycles, cars, or whatever had an engine in it. I started on a Honda 50, a Honda 70, a Yamaha 125, and it went up from there. That was how the love of the sport and racing in general was introduced to me. My dad took me to some flat-track races, and I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen with motorcycles going that fast sideways. I grew up with a family business where my dad sold industrial equipment. In fact, Blud Lubricants is owned by my industrial company, American Synthol. We sold our original business to Ingersoll Rand. From there, my dad started another company for synthetic lubricants in the early eighties, and I helped him do that. That was kind of the genesis and initial growing pains of what would become Blud Lubricants. We sell industrial products worldwide, and Blud is a byproduct of that. Mainly, it was because I was getting bored with the industrial side. It’s a great and fun business, but not as interesting as the racing component.

Vital MX: It’s cool you combined a business your family did for years with something you are passionate about. 

Jeff: Yes, I feel blessed. Not many people can do that, and it’s worked out. I tried to get my dad to do a racing lubricant business for years and he wouldn’t. Once he passed in 2008, I took over the company, and I was able to do it. Hopefully, my dad is proud of me. 

Vital MX: Was it easier to start a performance based product since you were already in the lubrication industry.

Jeff: In the industrial industry, you do your marketing and try to get people to buy your products. With oil, everyone thinks it’s all the same, which it’s not. We had some of our industrial clients who were racers, so we would build a racing product for them. We would say, “Look how well it holds up in a car. Just think how it will work in an air compressor or whatever.” Over time, enough of the people I was making the product for and just giving it away were telling me, “This product is so much better than what we can get on the market. Why don’t you start a company and sell it?” For about five to ten years, I kept saying, “Let me see if I can find the time and energy.” Finally, in 2015 and ’16, we started getting the trademarks and registrations. The formulas we already had. That was the genesis of it. It was a proven product before we started. I didn’t have to wonder if it would work or not. We knew it was the best stuff out there.

Vital MX: I like that you waited until you knew it was great. What about your product were those racers and engine builders seeing that made it so much better?

Jeff: It’s a lot of things. When you use a lubricant, you want it to lubricate your engine in the appropriate places. You don’t want it to go to places it shouldn’t. All kinds of tests are done, such as wear tests. We have a parts lab where we can do a hundred different types of testing of the products. Oil is a bit like food in that you can have all the same ingredients, but a great chef will make something that knocks your socks off. Someone who doesn’t know what they are doing will make a blasé product. There’s a science and art to the oil business. After being in business for forty years, you learn a few things. One thing you’ll hear about Blud is people are always amazed at how long the product lasts. There is a reason for that, and it’s not inexpensive. I won’t tell you what it is because it’s our secret, but it makes a difference. Whether it’s motocross or the Baja 1000, you want something that holds up. Many products look great out of the box, but it starts shearing quickly. Ours doesn’t do that. We’ve had people run long-distance races such as the Baja 1000 or Vegas to Reno, and they drop the oil and ask, “Is this stuff still good? It looks brand new.” That’s what we bring to the table. We make an outstanding product. It’s not the cheapest, but in my opinion, we are the best. Some people in the industry have said, “I put this in my bike, and it’s running cooler, it lasts longer, and protects great.” I don’t want to be a commodity guy; I want to build the best product for the racers.

Vital MX: How do you market a new racing performance oil? Where do you spend your money so people take notice?

Jeff: That’s a challenge for someone like Blud, whom no one has heard of except those in the racing series. Early on, we tried to compete by mass advertising, but it didn’t work. You can’t find our products in any shops you go to because they want products people know and will pick up and buy. Around 2017 or ’18, I decided to change what we were doing and focus on the racers and engine builders. One good word from Kris Keefer or a racer who we sponsor goes a long way. When I started, we didn’t have anyone in our support program, and now we have nearly 5,000 racers. It’s not all motorcycles, either. We do every kind of racing. That’s how we have gotten our name out, and it continues to grow. We’ve grown by leaps and bounds every year, and it’s been a fun ride. I’m sure at some point, I’ll have another decision to make on how to market it. Right now, we have products in NASCAR, Indy, NHRA, Baja, and anything you can think of because people learn how well it works. I have the luxury that I don’t need to turn a quick dollar, so I can let word of mouth spread. We advertise in various places, but someone with a technical orientation is needed for it to be effective. We aren’t a hamburger that you sell for $2.99. We’re a niche player. 

Vital MX: Who are you supporting in motocross at the moment? I see your logos and know you help several privateers.

Jeff: We have a program for the privateers because I want them to have a chance to use the same type of product that the top-end racers are. Whether it’s suspension fluid, engine oil, or chain lube, our stuff is top-of-the-line. We have an oil series called Scorpion Blud that is unbelievable. There’s nothing else available that can touch it, but it’s extremely expensive. I should be charging more, but I don’t think the market would bear it. I’ll tell you a quick story. Most of my history has been on the car side. When I said we made products for our customers, most were dirt tracks, sprint cars, or drag racers. I got a call in 2017 from a guy who was burning his clutches up. This was a pro racer, and I don’t want to put his name out there because another company is paying a lot of money to represent him. He would have to change the clutch plates after each practice and moto. So, he kept burning the oil up two or three times on each race day. I made something up and took it to Thunder Valley, which is challenging already with the altitude. They tested it and only had to change it once instead of three times. He was so excited he couldn’t stand it. The last thing I wanted him to be worried about was the oil. There are so many other things to worry about. So, we created some products and eliminated that issue for him on race day. It’s gone from there. We’ve even developed a product for the quads and heavy machines to help them get the maximum life out of a clutch. 

Vital MX: What made you go with the distinctive red color for Blud Lubricants?

Jeff: My son came up with the idea. He said, “Are you crazy? You have a product called Blud. There’s blood for your body and Blud for your engine. Why not dye it red? It’s not going to change the performance aspect of it.” I thought, “Huh, not a bad idea.” It’s turned out to be a fabulous idea. Everyone likes it, and I wish I could take credit for it.

Vital MX: Is there anything new coming from Blud Lubricants soon?

Jeff: We have a new product line coming called Blud Off-Road that will be for UTVs, as well as Jeeps, Tacomas, diesels, and anything you might want to put off-road to play with and don’t want to worry about your engine because of the oil. That’s the newest thing. We’re always coming up with stuff, particularly on the race side, because things develop quickly.