From Fighter Jets to Synthetic Oil: The AMSOIL Way 

In this episode of Racer Network’s Hot Rod History Lesson, AMSOIL Chairman & CEO Alan Amatuzio and AMSOIL Board Member Dean Alexander share behind-the-scenes stories about how AMSOIL came to be. The episode does a great job highlighting key points in our company’s history. But there’s one tale that deserves extra attention, so keep reading to learn more. 

The William Tell competition is a U.S. Air Force air-to-air weapons meet that pits the top flying units against one another in a series of missions designed to simulate realistic encounters with enemy aircraft. The Minnesota Air National Guard 148th Fighter Wing flew the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, also known as “Deuces” and “Red Tails.”

One particular group of Red Tails known as the “Aces of Deuces” won the William Tell competition in 1970, and the way they accomplished this remarkable feat ties directly the business philosophies of AMSOIL. This image of that winning team flying in formation mirrors how we do business at AMSOIL — with determination, collaboration, integrity and excellence.

Their tale of success began with Operations and Maintenance personnel, who methodically created a plan by reviewing the records of all the jets in their fleet and choosing the best and most consistent aircraft for the competition. Next, the best pilots and weapons controllers were selected.

For the next three months, the team of pilots, controllers and maintenance personnel practiced every air-defense profile they might encounter at the competition while ensuring the jets were maintained to exacting standards. Avionics and radar specialists even drew up plans to compensate for the increased humidity the team would face in Florida.

A team of 36 made the trip to the William Tell competition, comprised of 30 maintenance personnel and six pilots. Only four pilots flew the missions, but they could not have succeeded without valuable contributions from everyone involved. The many hours of data analysis, the expert adjustments to equipment, the attention to detail devoted to aircraft maintenance – all a collaborative effort to put the 148th Fighter Group in the best position to win.

The 148th were underdogs and not expected to win the William Tell competition. A small outfit based in Duluth, Minn., they did not have the resources or flash assigned to larger, premier Air Force bases. But they were committed, determined and focused. They brought their best and their collaborative effort helped them overcome the odds and beat the competition.

Their leader, Lt. Col. Al Amatuzio, applied those same values to the company he founded, AMSOIL.

Those values have helped AMSOIL beat the odds time and again throughout our history. They shaped our way of doing business, guided our decisions and helped us compete and win when we weren’t supposed to, as discussed in the video above.

The mission may have changed – we’re not competing in air-to-air combat exercises – but the values remain intact. We are driven to earn the loyalty of every customer by engineering innovative lubricant solutions and investing in expertise to deliver the performance they’ve been promised and the satisfaction they deserve.

Everyone at AMSOIL knows that it takes all of us to win, just like it took a team of 36 to win the William Tell. From Maintenance and Production to Distribution and Customer Service, every team member adds value and each contribution is crucial for fulfilling our mission of earning customer loyalty.

Our Mission

We Value

• A Spirit of Determination
  Resolve to do what you set out to do. Hard work will pay off.
• A Commitment to the Customer
  Put the customer first. Customer satisfaction matters more than a sale.
• Performance that Lives up to its Promise
  Deliver what is promised. Integrity builds trust and loyalty.
• A Culture of Collaboration & Professionalism
  Work together and hold ourselves to high standards.
• A Foundation of Expertise & Innovation
  Keep learning. The cycle of expertise and innovation never stops.