This article appeared in the June 2017 issue of Compoundings Magazine, published by ILMA (Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association)

If you didn’t hike through the nearly 3 million square feet of exhibit space at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas in March, you missed an opportunity to explore several new markets for lubricants.

And even if you were in Las Vegas, you might have missed two of the most promising growth opportunities for lubricants. One is the booming North American commercial equipment rental market. The second involves the changing outlook for emissions regulations, which will affect the demands for engine lubricants on commercial vehicles and off-highway equipment.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG is a huge international event held every three years for the construction industries, with a focus on construction, aggregates and ready-mix concrete. This year, nearly 128,000 attendees to the five-day show visited more than 2,800 exhibits.

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Joe Zirnhelt
Joe Zirnhelt is President and Chief Executive Officer of Power Systems Research and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. His responsibilities include management and oversight of the company's operations as well as leading the implementation of strategic initiatives. Joe joined the company as a Senior Consultant in 2005. After several years working in various management roles within product and project oversight, he served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer & Strategist from 2015 until assuming responsibilities as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2019. Over his 24-year professional career he has served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy including training in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program followed by experience with Alstom Power, a leading French power plant developer, before joining Power Systems Research in 2005. Joe holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been a regular contributor to Diesel Progress magazine and other industry publications often featuring the North American power generation market. He also is actively involved in the Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA) where he has contributed content for its Powerline magazine and recently completed his term as Chair of the Market Trends Committee.