Bishop Paul Slater and Canon Sam Corley visited a Leeds business this week whose Chairman takes a faith-based approach to its global industry.
Vickers Oils makes specialised lubricants used in the manufacture of textiles and in ships. Founded by Benjamin Randall Vickers in 1828, the current Chairman, Peter Vickers, is the fifth generation of the family to work in the company. Many of the employees are also from families who have worked there for generations.
Peter, who worships at St Giles, Bramhope, says, “Although the business had always been run by people of Christian faith, in the 1930s, as my grandfather (Farrar) and father (John) started to take time each day to seek to discern divine guidance about their lives and work, they began to put the well-being of our employees and customers at the heart of the business - before profits or returns to family shareholders. Their conviction was that, ‘what is morally right is also economically viable’.”
The business prospered and built a strong reputation for quality, service and integrity, and it was seen as a model for a new type of relationship between employees, managers and shareholders - at a time when British industry seemed to be defined by class war. John had said, “Lubricants act to reduce friction in a hostile environment and between warring surfaces; why can’t those employed in the lubricants industry do the same for society? Industry is the place where men of capital, management and labour can learn to work together . . . to put right what is wrong."
Over the last 20 years, Peter and the team at Vickers Oils have pioneered biodegradable marine oils, minimising their environmental impact. The company is now investing heavily to reduce both energy consumption and also greenhouse gas emissions from its own factory. He says, “While providing an alternative to class war was a valid purpose for the company in the context of the twentieth century, the need to build a sustainable economy and society for the world is a relevant purpose for the company today.”
Bishop Paul says, “Vickers Oils is a place where latent spirituality is in every nook and cranny – and it’s an example of how, when people are the priority and profit isn’t the only driver, the workforce will stay with you in good times and bad. In a world that is so often fixated on the short term, it’s a lesson in what a longer vision can do.”