One wonders if, when Benjamin Randall Vickers went into business in 1828 as an agent selling oils and soaps, he had the prescience to see the ever growing need for specialized lubricants as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace. He didn't have an easy ride. But he did have the guts, acumen and integrity to build on his successes and overcome his setbacks. The business he handed down to his sons, and sons of sons, is today a highly focused organization with a respected range of marine lubricants widely used in sterntubes and thrusters, and an equally impressive range of specialized lubricants for the textile industry. As early as 1887, before sail had finally given way to steam, Vickers realized that mineral oils significantly outperformed vegetable oils for the lubrication of engines.