1929-1945: Theodor Klüber causes a stir in the oil business

The first cars, a booming industry and constantly increasing demand for oil and petrol: Times are promising as Theodor Klüber, founder of the Klüber Lubrication company, is born in 1905. His grandfather of the same name was one of the pioneers who started bringing petroleum from America to Germany at the end of the 19th century. Theodor Klüber’s father expanded the business and built a petrol and oil storage depot, from which the whole of northern Bavaria was supplied. Business was good and with the start of his training to become a pharmacist – oil and petrol were sold by chemists and pharmacies in his day – the path to the mineral oil industry was already predefined for Theodor Klüber.

Convinced of the quality of his oil mixtures, Theodor Klüber starts producing lubricating oils and greases at his own mineral oil processing plant in 1938. His company soon has 40 employees, who develop and market the oil mixtures. The company’s own brands UNIVIS, PENRECO and PERMALUB conquer the market. To keep up with the growth of his business, Theodor Klüber acquires a site on Geisenhausenerstrasse in Munich – which is still the headquarters of the company to this day. In 1943, however, wartime destruction leads to a complete stop of production – for the time being.

1946-1965: Rebuilding, specialisation and success beyond national borders