At Interplas 2026, BP&R spoke with Jamie Shaw, Director at OMS LubriTek, about the company’s 10th anniversary, highlighting their show participation, past challenges, memorable milestones and future direction.
lubritek oms
[GD] This year seems to have been a particularly enjoyable Interplas for your team. How has your approach to the show changed over the years?
[JS] In the early years, every exhibition had a very specific objective attached to it. We would attend with clear targets, whether that was securing a particular customer, developing a partnership or achieving a certain level of business.
Interplas 2017 was just one year after we launched the business, so making that investment was a huge decision, but one that certainly paid off. This year felt different. For the first time, we came to Interplas with the mindset of enjoying the experience, meeting people and strengthening relationships. Of course, we still want commercial opportunities to come from it, but there’s less pressure and more appreciation for the people side of the industry.
One of the things I love about the plastics sector is how welcoming it is. My background is in lubricants, and while there are similarities, the plastics industry is far more personal. You arrive at an exhibition, and people stop to ask how you’re doing. Interplas has become as much about reconnecting with industry friends as it is about business development.
[GD] Your company has grown significantly over the last decade. Talk me through it.
[JS] From day one, we wanted to offer something different in an already niche offering: the complete service package, backed by technically advanced products to solve hydraulic-related issues that have been caused by years of neglect and low-performing products.
We’ve evolved significantly over the years by investing in our equipment. We have 14 filter rigs in our fleet, which include technology to cover common issues. This means we can carry out remedial work in a significantly more cost-effective manner.
Historically, lubricants have often been viewed as commodity products, where purchasing decisions are driven primarily by price. We wanted to challenge that mindset. Hydraulic oil is the lifeblood of an injection moulding machine. If the oil quality deteriorates, machine performance suffers, components wear prematurely and downtime increases. Instead of simply selling oil, we’ve focused on helping customers understand the role that lubrication plays in machine reliability.
We see ourselves as a service-led business. The products are important, but they’re really the tools that allow us to deliver our services. Through oil analysis, filtration, contamination control and ongoing support, we help customers improve machine performance and efficiency rates, reduce maintenance costs and extend equipment life.
[GD] Education seems to be a recurring theme. How does that work in practice?
[JS] Education is a huge part of our journey. We’re not interested in walking into a factory and telling someone they’ve been doing things wrong. Instead, we work alongside maintenance teams, helping them understand where improvements can be made and supporting them in developing long-term practices that deliver results.
We work closely with machine manufacturers throughout the UK, many of which use our services for initial oil fills on new machinery. More recently, we’ve expanded that support by providing training to their service engineers. For example, engineers visiting customer sites can take oil samples during routine maintenance visits.
We’ve developed simple sampling kits and processes to make this easy, but we also explain why oil analysis matters. When engineers understand the process, they’re much better equipped to explain the value to end users. It’s a win-win situation.
[GD] Looking back over ten years in business, what makes you proud the most?
[JS] There have been many milestones along the way, but if I had to choose one, it would simply be building a successful business from scratch. When you start a company, you quickly discover how many different hats you need to wear. You’re responsible for operations, sales, finance, marketing, customer service and everything in between.
Today we’re a team of four. My fellow founders and I started the company together, and bringing additional people into the business was a major step. Hiring someone isn’t just a commercial decision – it’s a responsibility. One of the biggest turning points came when we secured two major projects almost simultaneously. One involved a large packaging manufacturer where we undertook a six-month programme to cleanse hydraulic systems with our varnish removal treatment, VRT UltraClean, across over 50 injection moulding machines.
At the same time, we were working on another major project involving over 20 machines at a company that had secured a significant contract, and time restrictions meant the work needed to be carried out in just three months. Managing both projects with such a small team required military-style planning. We had to coordinate engineers,
[GD] What excites you most about the future?
[JS] There’s still enormous potential within the plastics industry alone. We’ve always focused on plastics because we understand the sector well, but the principles we apply are transferable.
Whether it’s plastics processing, marine applications or power generation, hydraulic systems still need clean oil and effective contamination control. We’re also broadening our technical capabilities by collaborating with specialists in complementary fields. If we encounter a challenge beyond our expertise, we bring in trusted partners who can help solve the problem. Customers appreciate that honesty because the focus remains on finding the right solution. Internally, we’re also considering how the business evolves over the next five to ten years. Bringing younger people into the organisation is something we’re actively discussing. Fresh perspectives and new skills are important for long-term growth.
[GD] Finally, after ten years, do you still enjoy it?
[JS] Absolutely. When we started the company, my wife joked that she wanted a yacht within five years. Ten years later, there’s still no yacht, but I genuinely love what I do.
What motivates me most is being out on site, meeting customers, solving problems and seeing the difference our work makes. Every day is different. One day you’re discussing oil analysis, the next you’re helping improve reliability on a critical production line.