International Women’s Day
Morris Lubricants is proud to celebrate the women driving progress in the oil and lubricants industry this International Women’s Day. Women represent approximately 29% of the STEM workforce in the UK (Office, 2023). Here at Morris Lubricants, we are committed to championing the talent, expertise and achievements of the women who help shape the business.
We spoke with three members from our Quality Control Laboratory whose work is essential to maintaining the high-quality standards Morris Lubricants products are known for:
• Amanda Hotchkiss, Laboratory Supervisor, who has worked for Morris Lubricants for 23 years.
• Elizabeth Ryan, Laboratory Applications Chemist, who has been with the company since October 1996. Elizabeth has been working for Morris Lubricants since she graduated from university, 30 years ago.
• Bethany Herbert, Laboratory Chemist, who joined the team two years ago.
What is it like to be a woman in STEM?
When asked about their experiences, Bethany shared that “There is a lot more acceptance within the industry today”. Elizabeth reflected on how the landscape has changed through the years, “When I started working at Morris Lubricants 30 years ago, there were only two women working on the entire plant, now the company has a much wider and more diverse work force”. Amanda added that “There is less need to prove yourself as a woman in the industry today compared to when I first started. You are employed because of your ability and skills; it is not to do with your gender”. Bethany added that she has seen an increase in the number of women coming into the business, especially young women, where perhaps once their roles would have been deemed a ‘male role’. Elizabeth explained that “As a team, the Lab has analysed over two and a half thousand samples in the last year to date. That is an incredible eighty-five thousand individual oil, lubricants and grease parameters investigated and reported”- an incredibly impressive number.
What are your day-to-day activities in the Lab?
Amanda explained that, on a typical day, the Laboratory team carry out routine quality control testing, support key product development work, place essential orders, and manage day-to-day problem solving to ensure raw material storage, product manufacturing and operations run smoothly.
Why is it important for Morris Lubricants to maintain quality products and materials?
The team emphasised that manufacturing high quality oils and lubricants is essential because it builds strong trust between the business and its customers. This trust secures the company’s position within the market and reinforces its reputation for reliability. Amanda added that “The team in the Lab follow a strategic routine which allows us to have great confidence in our products”.
How have you seen the business change over the years you have been working here?
Elizabeth shared that “The laboratory is busier than it has ever been”. Amanda added that testing has become far more rigorous as original equipment manufacturer specifications and industry standards have tightened. She explained that while 15w-40 was once the most routine product, it is now low viscosity products like 0w-30 grades that are tested most frequently. Collectively, Elizabeth, Amanda and Beth agreed that there have been significant product changes and updates over the years. Morris Lubricants now focuses on manufacturing a broad and specialised range of oils and lubricants. As a result, Elizabeth explained that “Testing must be faster and more streamlined”. She added that “The Morris Lubricants Quality Control Laboratory is well equipped with the most up-to-date apparatus, in order to conduct the most appropriate tests, and to ensure top quality across the entirety of the laboratory”.
The women in the Laboratory, and indeed the whole business, are crucial to keeping workflows running smoothly. The oil and lubricants industry is an ever-changing space, and Morris Lubricants has always been at the forefront in the industry in not only developing its quality oils and lubricants but also its working practices and environment.