Lubrication Specialties Inc. Founder Chris Gabrelcik Retires

His Watch Has Ended. Or Has it?

Lubrication Specialties (LSI), manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret high performance lubricants and additives, announces the retirement of company founder and CEO Chris Gabrelcik. Effective at the end of June, Gabrelcik will continue to own and oversee the management of Microwave Renewable Technologies (MRT) in Mount Gilead.

Gabrelcik began Lubrication Specialties in 1997 with a focus on providing lubrication services to top industrial and commercial accounts to ensure equipment operated at maximum capacity. Top clients included Nucor Steel, Showa, Midwest Industries, X-Tec and International Truck and Engine. In 2005, Gabrelcik was approached by a major automotive engine manufacturer to determine if there was a lubrication solution that could solve a pressing problem with the 6.0L Powerstroke. Injectors were prematurely failing and the expense to repair or replace them was becoming a major financial liability for the company. As one of the few people in the world to hold a Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) certification and an Oil Management Analysis (OMA) certification, he was uniquely qualified to develop unique formulas not available on the commercial market. He not only discovered the underlying problem but formulated the solution by developing a highly effective oil additive treatment, now branded as Hot Shot’s Secret Stiction Eliminator®. Hot Shot’s Secret’s first diesel fuel additive for the automotive aftermarket has now grown to a family of over 50 products that includes engine and gear oils, transmission fluids, oil and fuel additives for gas- and diesel-powered vehicles, coolants, gun and bow oil, spray lubricants and a dedicated product line specifically developed for RV vehicles. Hot Shot’s Secret has now become the fastest growing performance lubricant brand in the USA and is sold nationwide by performance dealers, auto parts and accessory retailers, truck stops, e-tailers and chain stores.

As an entrepreneur at heart and with a keen interest in sustainability, Gabrelcik expanded LSI in 2012 by acquiring Frantz Filter, a manufacturer of bypass oil filters designed to remove contaminants from engine oil for longer use and fewer oil turns. In 2014 he purchased Fluid Recovery, a company that specializes in recycling antifreeze and other automotive fluids and one year later founded Microwave Renewable Technologies (MRT). MRT is a company that converts biomass and other waste materials into renewable energy utilizing a mobile tire recycling machine that reduces tires into three components: carbon black, oil and gas. In 2020, he formed LSI Chemical, a division developed to provide innovative high-performance oil and fuel additives for downstream oil, petrol and diesel fuel production. LSI Chemical also provides private label services for a global client base.

In June 2022, Gabrelcik sold most of the assets of Lubrication Specialties Inc., including Hot Shot’s Secret, Frantz Filter, and LSI Chemical to Gold Eagle Company (Chicago, IL); retaining ownership of MRT with the agreement to continue to serve as CEO of Lubrication Specialties for one year. June 30th he is officially retiring as CEO of Lubrication Specialties. During his extensive career in the industry, he has been recognized by Ohio based publications and national associations for his acute business acumen and entrepreneurship skills. In 2016 he was named the Smart 50 Entrepreneur of the Year and a few years later the Entrepreneur of the Year for Ohio Valley. He has also been recognized as a Central Ohio Smart Business Magazine “Smart Leader” and a Columbus Business First “Fast 50” honoree.

Married and with six children, Gabrelcik is known for his dedication to his family, faith, and community and believes strongly in supporting non-profit organizations. A few notable non-profits include Waypoint Vets, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of Uniting and Empowering Veterans through Activities and Adventure, Battle Scarred Motorsports that provides opportunities for veterans of all branches of service to have a motorsports experience on the track or serving as a crew member. Very active with his church and the local community, he has also supported faith-based initiatives and many local community fundraisers.

Gabrelcik says, “It is hard to believe that what began as a home garage-based business developed in time to provide employment in my local community for seventy people that I have grown to care about and respect. LSI was formed with a mission of solving problems not addressed by the market that are powered by science. Our products improve performance in the form of preventative maintenance, emissions, and MPG and of late my focus has been on environmental sustainability. Reflecting on my career, I see that I have been truly blessed to build a business based on new technologies that has helped make our world a better place. Now I will have an opportunity to continue a legacy of working to protect the environment with MRT as there is no credible way to recycle tires and tires have become a huge problem all over the world.”

Gabrelcik is a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) and the Association of Diesel Specialists (ADS) and will continue to be active with both organizations.