Blue Sky DEF Plant Built

Blue Sky and Valor Oil Partner to Form Blue Sky Heartlands

New Owensboro, Ky., Facility to Serve as Midwest Production and Distribution Center to Meet Growing Demand for Blue Sky Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)

CARTERET, N.J. (February 9, 2012) –  Prime Lube Inc., the parent company of Blue Sky East LLC, announced that Blue Sky has formed a strategic partnership with Valor Oil of Owensboro, Ky., to become the Midwest manufacturer and supplier of Blue Sky Diesel Exhaust Fuel (DEF).

This joint venture will be named Blue Sky Heartlands, and will begin production of DEF at a new 16,000-square-foot plant in Owensboro in February 2012. The plant will produce approximately 3.5 million gallons of DEF per year and will expand to meet growing demand for its use in diesel-

powered engines, including tractor trailers, pickup trucks, passenger cars, agricultural and construction equipment, and marine
vessels and trains. Blue Sky Heartlands will deliver DEF to distribution locations in a seven-state area that comprises Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia.

“We’re excited about our association with Valor Oil, a diversified and progressive petroleum supplier, and the expansion of our supply and distribution of Blue Sky DEF to customers in the Midwest,” said Robert Arbasetti, COO of Prime Lube. “With DEF now mandated by the EPA to control diesel emissions, the availability of Blue Sky DEF to Midwest customers allows them to stay compliant, while benefitting from a high-quality, low-cost, easy-to-use solution to keep engines running their best.”

Owensboro-based  Valor Oil is a full-line petroleum distributor that provides services and products to retail, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors in Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana. The company also blends and supplies racing fuel nationwide.

“Valor Oil has always been a leader in offering safer and cleaner fuel alternatives, including biodiesel products,” said Gary Emmick, CEO of Emmick Oil, parent company of Valor Oil. “With our new partnership and the creation of Blue Sky Heartlands, we will be able to offer customers the environmental and performance benefits of Blue Sky DEF. In addition, by creating new jobs, Blue Sky Heartlands will contribute to the economic development of Owensboro and the surrounding communities.”

The Owensboro plant is the second Blue Sky facility in the U.S. and the first in the Midwest region. The strategic location will help further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing the distance required for delivery to local distributors in Blue Sky Heartlands’ seven-state area. Lower transportation costs will also result in a significant price advantage for Midwest distributors and their customers.

Blue Sky Heartlands’ full-service distribution and handling capacity will include its own fleet of trucks for delivery, as well as the capability to provide customers with dispensing equipment, storage tanks and other handling equipment required for DEF.

Regarding EPA compliance, all diesel-powered passenger and commercial vehicles produced after January 1, 2010, are required to meet new, lower nitrous oxide emission standards. DEF, in conjunction with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, is the most effective and safest means that commercial and private owner I operators can meet the required U.S. EPA mandate. DEF is also mandated in Canada.

Blue Sky DEF is ISO and API approved to help neutralize the nitrous oxide emissions generated through diesel exhaust. In its most basic form, DEF is a blend of urea (derived from natural gas) and deionized water that combine to form ammonia, which turns nitrous oxide emissions into harmless water vapor and elemental nitrogen. It can also improve fuel economy up to eight percent.

On March 28, 2012, a grand opening ceremony will be held for the new Blue Sky

Heartlands facility in Owensboro. The event will include a ribbon cutting featuring local government officials and Blue Sky and Valor Oil representatives, tours of the plant, and fleet trucks and equipment on display. In addition to media representatives and guests, the public is invited to attend.