The Industry Leader in Professional-Grade Penetrating Oils, Lubricants and Grease.
Family of Brands
The iconic Kroil name has become synonymous with the very best penetrating oils and lubricants for industrial maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), and professional specialty trade markets. Kroil has built a passionately loyal customer base around its products, which are used by professionals and DIYers to quickly loosen rusted, corroded, and frozen mechanical parts.
Super Lube® is a leading brand of a 40-year-old manufacturer of high-performance synthetic food-grade greases and lubricants. Based in Bohemia, NY, Super Lube specializes in developing innovative, premium-quality products that meet ever-evolving regulatory requirements for environmental protection and consumer safety.
About Kano Laboratories LLC
Delivering Industrial Strength Solutions Since 1939.
Kano Laboratories LLC was founded in 1939 with the goal of producing the very best, professional-grade chemical solutions on the market. Highlighted by our flagship Kroil penetrant formulas, our products have been proven effective by service and maintenance professionals in just about every industry. They know that when the Kano mark is on the packaging, tough problems will get solved, quickly and efficiently.
- Established in 1939
- Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee
- Acquired by Gryphon Investors in 2020
- Celebrated 85 Years in Business in 2024
- Acquired Synco Chemical Corporation in 2024
Executive Team
Mark Klein is a passionate, seasoned C-Suite Executive with over 20 years of general manager and business leadership experience across multiple, diverse manufactured good businesses spanning industrial, commercial, residential, and consumer end user enterprises. Mark’s expertise is in developing innovative & disruptive sales, product, and channel marketing strategies to drive record-breaking sales.
In his last corporate role Mark was President of Klein Tools, a, global, privately held manufacturing company, Mark led the transformation of the company from a small inwardly-focused organization to a vibrant, fast-growing company. Mark also served on Klein Tools’ board of directors.
Mark is a member of the global Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and an Executive Scholar Certificate from the Kellogg School of Management.
With over 13 years of dedicated service to Super Lube, Natalia Diaz stands at the forefront as the President of the Super Lube division. In her current role, she brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of effective leadership to drive the company towards unprecedented success.
Natalia’s journey within the organization began in July 2010 when she joined as an Accounting Assistant. From there, she steadily climbed the corporate ladder, showcasing her unwavering commitment and exceptional skills. Natalia’s journey within the company saw her take on pivotal roles, progressing from Financial Controller to Chief Operating Officer, and currently serving as the dynamic President of the Super Lube division at Kano Laboratories LLC.
Beyond her corporate achievements, Natalia values her time with family in Long Island and finds joy in reading and playing tennis. Her commitment extends beyond the corporate realm, as she co-founded and serves as a board member of Planting Hope and Love, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting less fortunate children in Latin America.
Natalia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She furthered her academic journey by earning a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from St. Joseph’s University, New York. Her enduring commitment to excellence, combined with her philanthropic endeavors, exemplifies Natalia Diaz as a leader with a vision for both corporate success and social impact.
Bill is an accomplished sales and marketing executive with 30 years of experience leading teams in retail, eCommerce, and industrial channels of distribution to achieve exceptional results. His leadership experience includes senior roles in Fortune 500, privately held, and consulting organizations. He has a proven track record of developing and executing strategies that deliver significant revenue growth and increased profitability. Bill has demonstrated a passion for leading sales teams to focus on strong partnerships with distribution to win in the marketplace.
Bill began his career at Black & Decker DeWALT in their Leadership Development Program. During his 14-year tenure he held multiple leadership roles in sales and marketing. In the Industrial channel, he led a national sales organization to drive record sales with the company’s largest industrial distributor. Bill is innovative and collaborative in his approach to working with his team and distributor partners.
Before joining Kano, Bill served as the Senior Vice President of Retail Sales at Klein Tools, where he led the team in North America to breakthrough results with the company’s most prominent Home Improvement Retailer. The team was recognized and honored as “Partner of the Year” five times under his leadership.
Bill holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management, majoring in Strategy, Finance, and Marketing. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from The Ohio State University. Bill resides in Wilmette, Illinois with his wife and three sons.
Joan Duvall is a strategic thought leader and high-performing marketing executive with experience across multiple industries and a broad base of companies from Fortune 50 and Fortune 1000 to small private, and private-equity backed businesses. As an integrated marketer she has an understanding of the many facets of the marketing function and shapes the marketing vision and plan to fit each unique business.
Whether it is managing the residential cooling business for Carrier Air Conditioning, building the marketing function and rebranding the company at A. O. Smith Corporation, driving significant growth while delivering on the product and brand strategy at JPW Industries, or developing an all makes parts business for OMNIPARTS and Nissan North America, Joan employs a team and data driven approach to generate results.
Joan earned her MBA from Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management, and her BS from The Georgia Institute of Technology.
Sal is a highly skilled manufacturing and sales executive boasting over four decades of expertise in the Lubrication Industry. With a robust background in lubricant manufacturing, product formulation, quality systems, Statistical Process Control, new product development, and key account management, Sal consistently demonstrates leadership and proficiency.
His extensive career involves formulating a diverse range of high-performance lubrication products, including greases and oils known for their cleanliness, safety, NSF H1 certification for food-grade quality, and exceptional performance.
As a member of the Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers and a certified Lubrication Engineer, Sal excels in various professional skills such as team building, competitive product analysis, strategic planning, and a proven track record of driving sales. Holding a B.S. degree in Finance from Purdue University, Sal has earned multiple manufacturing quality certifications from Eastern Michigan University.
Currently residing in St. Augustine, Florida, Sal enjoys sharing his life with his wife, Valerie.
Nate Hewitt is an accomplished digital executive with a track record of driving e-commerce revenue growth and implementing successful digital strategies. He has extensive experience in digital transformation and is skilled at leveraging the latest technologies and processes to optimize operations and create new revenue streams.
Nate’s experience includes leading digital strategy development and execution for top brands such as Klein Tools and ACCO Brands. At Klein Tools, he was responsible for driving the company’s e-commerce revenue growth and digital transformation initiatives. At ACCO Brands, he developed and implemented a successful global digital strategy that resulted in significant revenue growth and improved customer experience. Nate’s ability to build and nurture strategic partnerships with customers, technology vendors, service providers, and other stakeholders has enabled him to stay ahead of the competition and drive innovation in the industry. He is a visionary leader who is dedicated to delivering results and creating long-term value for his clients and partners. He has worked not only in the U.S., but also the U.K., and LATAM markets driving the digital marketing experience in the industrial, commercial, retail and online segments.
Nate has a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Science at Iowa State University. He currently resides in Glenview, IL with his wife, and two children.
Susan joined Kano Labs in 1987 and leads our Operations team who is responsible for production, planning, sourcing, logistics, safety and compliance. As one of our longest tenured employees at Kano, she has a level of company and brand experience that rivals no other. This, coupled with her exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and cross-functional communication skills, results in a smooth production process leading to successful On Time In Full (OTIF) deliveries to our clients.
Eileen joined Kano Labs in 2002 and leads a team who is responsible for providing outstanding customer service. Given her long history and experience, she has an in-depth understanding of tasks, responsibilities and skills needed to lead a successful team. This allows her to quickly, effectively, and professionally resolve conflicts for any of our U.S. or global customers. Eileen is certified in Haz-mat shipping and lives in Portland, TN.