A business is only as reliable as its staff, and at Morley Glass & Glazing we’ve been fortunate enough over the course of our 20-year history to have put together a fantastic team. Of the 70-strong team we have today, we’re lucky enough to have three members of staff who have been with us from the very beginning. So, to celebrate all they’ve brought to the business since 1998, we sat down with Phil, Thomas, and Paul to find out some of their most memorable moments at Morley.
Phil Hasset
Design processes supervisor
Paul tells us: “I’ve watched Morley go from strength to strength over the last 20 years, from quite a rough and ready business in 1998 to the professional company we are today, complete with the efficient and streamlined service our customers have come to expect.”
Originally brought into the company as part of the leading department, Phil’s favourite aspect of his current role is the variety he now sees each day, which his role has expanded to cover. This includes everything from helping design the layout of the factory itself to the graphic design of logos and marketing support materials for customers.
He appreciates the opportunities he has had over the last 20 years to grow alongside the business as his role has expanded. The highlights of his career with Morley include the two ‘big’ moves, to Millshaw Park and their current premises at Bruntcliffe Way.
He says: “I couldn’t wish for better bosses than Ian and Kathy, I’ve never worked for anyone fairer or more genuine. They’ve done a lot for me over the years and it’s clear how much they care about everyone at the business, which is why Morley has such a low staff turnover and so many people have been with the business for ten years or more.”
Paul Parkin
Production manager
Having worked alongside Ian for six months prior to the establishment of Morley Glass, Paul initially joined the business as a leading operative. It was after attending a glass show at Birmingham’s NEC with Ian that Paul first heard of integral blinds and saw the lightbulb moment that opened up a whole new avenue for the business.
“I didn’t see the same opportunity as Ian saw with integral blinds, but once we started to produce them my confidence grew, and I haven’t looked back,” Paul explains. “We’ve seen some hard times, worked a lot of long hours to meet deadlines and had to become the masters of moving things round to make space when we began to outgrow our original site.
“I look back on where we were and feel a huge sense of achievement and pride at where we are now. Our first premises were tiny, around 500sq ft, and we didn’t have any automation at all, but we made it work.”
Paul believes his forte is planning, as well as the ability to see problems before they happen, which comes in useful now that he is responsible for almost half of Morley’s current workforce.
Thomas Brown
Shop floor supervisor
“I’ve enjoyed every day I’ve worked for Morley Glass, there’s always been a new challenge to face but I can honestly say that things have just kept on improving year after year,” says Thomas. “I think one of the main changes I’ve noticed would be how today everyone is encouraged to diversify and learn how to ‘do it all’, whereas in the beginning everyone had their own specific role.”
Today, Thomas trains staff members in a number of different functions. With career highlights that include trips to Italy and Turkey, he believes the main difference between 20 years ago and now is how many improvements there have been in machinery. In the past, staff were required to hand cut everything, compared to today when a lot of processes are automated. What hasn’t changed, however, is the times Ian takes to make sure all his staff feel rewarded and appreciated.
“I’m glad I put the time and effort right from the beginning to learn all I could over the last 20 years. Those of us who have been here right from the start still work well together and I wouldn’t change our team for anything. I still enjoy my job every day, and even my daughter is now saying she wants to work in glass someday!”
