VALVOLINE INC

In the early 1860s, Dr. John Ellis, a Massachusetts-born physician, traveled to Titusville, Pennsylvania, which was the epicenter of America's nascent petroleum industry, to research crude oil as a potential medical compound. Instead, he found it to be an excellent lubricant for machinery. Ellis built his own equipment for improving the crude's lubricating qualities. In 1866, he partnered with his wife's relative, who had an oil refinery in Binghamton, New York, to found the Continuous Oil Refining Company, which produced petroleum lubricant for steam engines. Originally, Ellis named his lubricant Binghamton Cylinder Oil, but two years later, he renamed it to the simpler and more memorable Valvoline. In 1869, he moved the Continuous Oil Refining Company to Brooklyn. With his son and son-in-law, Ellis renamed the company to "Ellis & Leonard" and relocated to Shadyside, New Jersey. Valvoline received commendations by Charles F. Chandler and others at the Paris Exhibition of 1878. By the 1890s, Valvoline oil was associated with winning race cars. During the early 20th century, Valvoline was the recommended motor oil for the Ford Model T.

In 1949, Ashland Inc. purchased the Freedom-Valvoline Company.

By 2016, Ashland's Valvoline subsidiary accounted for about 37% of the parent company's annual revenue. Valvoline completed an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on September 22, 2016, ahead of Ashland spinning off Valvoline as an independent company on May 5, 2017.

On August 1, 2022, Saudi Aramco announced the acquisition of Valvoline's lubricant unit for US$2.65 billion.

On August 24, 2026, Valvoline announced plans to move its headquarters to Cincinnati, with the new facility planned to open in spring 2027.