Morris Lubricants launches graduate recruitment programme

04 May, 2017

Kyle Gleeson, 28, from Telford, and Owen Lloyd, 24, from Church Stretton, are the first graduates to join the new programme at Morris Lubricants, which has been based in Shrewsbury since 1869.

Since the beginning of last year, Gleeson and Lloyd have been working in different departments to gain a greater understanding of the company and how the business operates in home and international markets.

Gleeson, an international business studies honours graduate of Sheffield Hallam University, is an international sales graduate in the export team, having recently attended the Automechanika Show in Shanghai with the company.

“It’s just a fantastic company to work for, and I realised that pretty quickly after joining,” he said. “I have had a few jobs since leaving university and I have never worked anywhere like it. Everyone is so approachable and helpful. I am looking forward to progressing my career, gaining more experience and winning new business for the company.”

Gleeson was working for a recruitment agency when he applied to the graduate programme at Morris Lubricants and was looking for a job that better matched his degree, so that he could put his skills into practice.

Rigorous recruitment process

The rigorous recruitment process included a telephone interview, assessment day and final assessment with presentations, interviews tests. Shrewsbury-based graduate recruitment company, Discovery Graduates, supported Morris Lubricants throughout the assessment and selection process.

The company is now supporting the graduates’ development though its OPEN programme for graduates, which helps in the transition from academia to working life, equipping them with the skills and encouraging the behaviours that employers most value.

Lloyd, whose family has a livestock farm near Church Stretton, has secured a full-time role as a buyer in the company’s procurement team, having gained experience across the business.

An agricultural engineering graduate of Harper Adams University, he had previous work placement experience with Claas UK, a customer of Morris Lubricants and Robert Davies Machinery in Ford, near Shrewsbury.

“I have always been around Morris Lubricants’ products and when the opportunity came up to work for the company, it was a very interesting prospect,” he said. “It was a great experience to work in every department, which has given me a better understanding of the business.”

Lloyd continued: “I have been out with the drivers picking up base oils, worked on the blending and filling lines, attended trade shows with the sales team, worked in the technical department and now I have secured a full-time role as a buyer. The company has an excellent reputation and everyone working here has great pride in the products.

“Having had a really good grounding, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of working in procurement and hope to contribute to the company’s success over the coming years. It’s a great place to be working.”

Good understanding

The graduate programme was organised by Andrew Wilkins, Morris Lubricants’ director of strategy. He said talented young employees, such as Gleeson and Lloyd, represented the future of the company and it was important that they gained a good understanding of the business.

“If the company is to continue to develop and thrive in the future, it’s essential that we recruit talented young graduates who can make a telling contribution to the business,” he added.