MANN+HUMMEL unveils Walmart-exclusive Purolator 20K Premium Oil Filter

With drivers looking to go increasingly longer between oil changes, Purolator has partnered with Walmart to launch an oil filter capable of lasting 20,000 miles.

The Purolator 20K Premium Oil Filter was unveiled at the headquarters of MANN+HUMMEL, the parent organization of Purolator, in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Tuesday. The gold-painted filters will be sold exclusively on the Walmart website and in select brick-and-mortar locations for the retailer.

“The extended drain is happening, whether we like it or not,” Donald Chilton, MANN+HUMMEL director of product management said. “The other thing we think about a lot at Mann+Hummel is how we can protect the environment and separate the useful from the harmful. That’s our slogan and what we aim to do. The research that went into (the 20,000-mile filter) was how do we help keep the environment cleaner so you’re not throwing away a filter, which is made out of steel, rubber, and other things, (as often). It’s better for the environment when we use less oil. The technology of all the components that go into (the filter) has helped to push what we can do to make it cleaner for the rest of the world.”

Entering an exclusive partnership with Walmart was a strategic move to bring the Purolator brand to a wider customer base, said Daryl Benton, vice president of sales and marketing for the automotive aftermarket with MANN+HUMMEL.

“(Walmart is) the right kind of business that we want to partner with,” said Benton. “With that in mind, they are looking for ways to bring high-quality, premium products to their customers at a good value. Creating this Walmart-exclusive Purolator 20,000-mile filter was a way we could do that and reach a group of consumers we hadn’t been reaching with Purolator, and also help to provide more value with a great brand and a great offer for Walmart.”

Initial orders have been shipped to Walmart stores and should start appearing on shelves in late March or early April, a Mann + Hummel spokesperson confirmed. Filters will be priced between $8 and $10, and the 30 SKUs in the product line cover more than 95% of consumer applications.

The Purolator 20K filter is the result of a two-year development process between MANN+HUMMEL and Walmart, Benton told Aftermarket Business World.

“We talked to Walmart about our traditional Purolator portfolio,” Benton said. “When we were having the conversation and going back and forth about what was important to them and what was important to us, we collectively came to a view that said we could probably develop a product that works perfectly for the Walmart consumer and comes with all of the quality, history, and heritage of the Purolator brand.”

To achieve a 20,000-mile life cycle, the Purolator 20K filter uses high-density, synthetic media that captures more than 99% of dirt and contaminants to ensure clean oil flow. The filter is optimized for vehicles that experience frequent towing, off-roading, and stop-and-go traffic that is common for passenger vehicles. The filter also includes a silicone anti-drainback valve to prevent dry starts, a PuroSEAL gasket for leak protection, and a PuroSTEEL casing to withstand extreme pressure.

“Filtration is science,” and as technology changes, filtration has to evolve as well, Lee Harris of MANN+HUMMEL’s Training and Customer Experience team, told attendees at Tuesday’s event.