Inauguration of the new laboratory at Vickers Oils
On 6th September, Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn, Labour MP for Leeds Central, visited Vickers Oils to inaugurate its new state-of-the-art R&D laboratories.
Peter Vickers, Managing Director and 5th generation of the family to work at Vickers Oils, commented, “We were delighted to welcome our constituency Member of Parliament, Rt Hon Hilary Benn, MP, for a tour of site, to meet our staff, and to open officially our new laboratories.”
The new laboratories and test equipment facilitate Vickers Oils’ continued development of high performance and environmentally acceptable lubricants for the marine, textile and industrial markets worldwide, 30% of Vickers Oils’ employees are now employed in laboratory and technical service roles.
Hilary Benn commented on Twitter: “Really enjoyed my visit to Vickers Oils in Leeds this morning to open their new laboratory and meet the wonderful team. A family firm exporting all over the world thanks to world-class environmentally-friendly innovation.”
The new laboratory is an extension to its existing laboratory as part of a substantial investment to update its entire manufacturing site and to implement more sustainable practices where possible. Vickers Oils invested in the installation of new energy-efficient boilers and steam distribution system, 500 square metres of solar panels which now provide 20% of the site’s electricity demand, extensive insulation of old buildings to improve thermal efficiency, as well as investment in additional filling machines and blending technology.
Vickers Oils is a family company which has been based in Leeds since its establishment in 1828 and remains a private, independent company now led by the 5th and 6th generations of the Vickers family to work in the company.
From Left to right: Rt Hon Hilary Benn (Labour MP for Leeds Central),
Peter Vickers (Managing Director, Vickers Oils) and
Scott Glynn (Manufacturing Manager, Vickers Oils)
