Albert “A.J.” Amatuzio, founder and former CEO of AMSOIL passed away late on March 31st at the age of 92. Mr. Amatuzio was born on May 24th, 1924. He founded AMSOIL in 1972 and served as president and CEO of the company until 2015.
While we never had the honor of meeting Mr. Amatuzio, we held him in very high regard. His life story is one of tenacity, ingenuity and immense accomplishment.
Born into humble means, Mr. Amatuzio became a distinguished US Air Force pilot and flight trainer. During his Air Force service, he noted how well synthetic oil performed in jet aircraft engines. He surmised that if synthetic engine oil handled the extreme operating conditions of jet aircraft engines, it should excel in automotive applications. This simple notion became the brainchild for AMSOIL. In 1972, the company bearing his name (“AMSoil”) released the first API-approved synthetic motor oil for automotive service.
But that doesn’t mean that the path was easy from there. Imagine going up against the big oil companies in the early 70’s with this unheard-of “synthetic” oil which was priced at ten times the cost of most motor oils of the day. Against these seemingly insurmountable odds, Mr. Amatuzio built a company that went from a one-man show to one that employs hundreds and markets its products in over 50 countries. Today, the AMSOIL brand is synonymous with exceptional quality and excellence.
Mr. Amatuzio’s legacy goes well beyond AMSOIL’s Superior, Wisconsin headquarters. His hard work and determination enabled thousands of AMSOIL dealers located throughout the United States and Canada to enhance their lives. For that we are eternally grateful.
