Published 5 November 2026 · Last updated 2 November 2026
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Curiosity, Complexity and the Human Side of Lubricants: Lessons from 40 Years in the Industry.
How Adrian Hill of Morris Lubricants sees the evolution of technical knowledge, the importance of making the complex understandable, and why the future of the industry belongs to those who keep asking questions.
Beyond The Blend | Steve Knapp in conversation with Adrian Hill, Group Technical Director, Morris Lubricants
Introduction: Four decades in, and still asking why
The lubricants industry has changed enormously over the past four decades. Products have become more sophisticated, specifications more demanding, applications more complex and customer expectations considerably higher. Yet, for all that technical progress, some of the most important qualities needed to succeed in this industry remain remarkably human.
Curiosity, creativity, communication and a willingness to keep learning.
In this episode of Beyond The Blend, Steve Knapp is joined by Adrian Hill, Group Technical Director at Morris Lubricants, whose career began in a laboratory in 1984 and has since taken him through formulation, technical development, applications, customer support and leadership.
What makes Adrian’s story particularly interesting is his enthusiasm for an industry he has worked in for more than 40 years. He remains fascinated by the science, excited by change and passionate about helping others understand a subject that can sometimes appear unnecessarily complicated.
There is also another side to Adrian. A former bass player in an eighties band, a songwriter, photographer and self-confessed creative, he brings a personality to technical leadership that perhaps challenges a few stereotypes.
The conversation explores how curiosity shapes careers, why commercial success increasingly depends on technical understanding, and how education and engaging content can help an industry communicate its true value.
Above all, it raises an important question: as the lubricants industry becomes more complicated, are we getting better at helping people understand it?
1. A career built on curiosity
An accidental introduction to lubricants
Like many people who have built long and successful careers in lubricants, Adrian never set out specifically to work in the sector.
His early interest was chemistry. A childhood chemistry set, complete with a white laboratory coat, captured his imagination and eventually led him towards science at A-level. When the time came to find employment, he applied for a range of laboratory positions before securing a quality control role at Joseph Batson’s in Tipton in 1984.
It was the beginning of a career that would extend far beyond the laboratory.
What stands out is that Adrian didn’t begin with a carefully mapped career plan. He found something that interested him, pursued an opportunity and remained open to where that opportunity might lead.
The value of being given an opportunity
Just a few years into his career, Adrian joined Forward Lubricants, which later became Newton Oils, and was handed an unusual challenge.
Three empty rooms and the responsibility of establishing a quality control laboratory.
For someone relatively new to the industry, it was an opportunity to take ownership, solve problems and develop capabilities that might otherwise have taken years to acquire.
That experience also encouraged him to look beyond the testing itself. Why were particular formulations used? What did the different components achieve? How did a specification translate into the performance required by a machine?
These questions gradually took Adrian from laboratory operations into formulation, applications and technical strategy.
It is a reminder of what happens when organisations give people genuine responsibility and allow their curiosity to develop.
The importance of never stopping asking why
A recurring theme throughout the conversation is Adrian’s determination to keep asking questions.
Even after more than four decades, he describes himself as curious about the industry, the technologies emerging within it and the reasons behind how things work.
That mindset has become particularly valuable in a sector where products and applications are continually evolving.
Experience can provide a tremendous foundation of knowledge, but there is a danger in allowing familiarity to become complacency.
Adrian’s approach suggests that expertise and curiosity should develop together. Knowing a great deal about a subject creates opportunities to ask better questions, explore new ideas and challenge established assumptions.
For anyone working in technical, commercial or leadership roles, that is a valuable lesson.
Creativity has a place in technical industries
One of the more entertaining parts of the conversation comes when Adrian discusses his musical interests.
He played bass and sang in an eighties three-piece band called The Statues, and continues to enjoy songwriting, audio engineering, photography and experimenting with different musical styles.
At first glance, these interests might appear rather removed from laboratory testing and lubricant formulation.
Adrian, however, sees a connection.
Developing new formulations, finding solutions to technical problems, communicating ideas and exploring innovative approaches all involve elements of creativity.
The industry relies on scientific understanding, certainly, but it also benefits from individuals who think imaginatively, challenge conventions and enjoy finding different ways of approaching problems.
Perhaps the technical and creative worlds are closer than we sometimes imagine.
2. Forty years of change: the growing complexity of lubricants
From relatively simple product ranges to specialist solutions
When Steve asks what would surprise the Adrian of 1984 about today’s lubricants industry, the answer comes quickly.
Complexity.
Adrian recalls a time when passenger car engine oil ranges could be represented by a relatively small number of products. A handful of viscosity grades served a market where engine technologies and performance requirements were considerably less diverse.
Compare that with today’s landscape, where increasingly specialised formulations, thinner viscosity grades, detailed manufacturer approvals and changing equipment requirements create a much more demanding environment.
The technical advances are remarkable, but they bring challenges for manufacturers, distributors, sales professionals and customers alike.
What was once a relatively straightforward decision can now require careful consideration of multiple specifications and operating conditions.
The laboratory has changed beyond recognition
The changes extend well beyond the finished products.
Adrian remembers laboratory procedures that were once highly manual, including pour point testing that involved moving samples through a series of temperature-controlled baths and monitoring results over extended periods.
Today, automation and electronic data recording have transformed much of that work.
Yet the overall laboratory environment has become more demanding.
Higher production volumes, faster turnaround expectations, calibration requirements, repeatability testing and industry comparisons all place additional responsibilities on technical teams.
Technology has simplified individual tasks while increasing the sophistication of the wider operation.
It is an interesting reflection of modern manufacturing: greater efficiency often comes alongside greater expectations, leaving very little room for error.
Complexity creates challenges for customers too
The industry may understand why lubricant ranges have become more specialised, but what does that complexity look like from the customer’s perspective?
For a fleet operator, maintenance engineer or industrial buyer, the challenge is rarely to understand every detail of lubricant chemistry.
Their priority is selecting a product that will protect equipment and perform reliably.
As the number of options increases, so does the potential for confusion, uncertainty and incorrect selection.
This creates an important responsibility for suppliers.
They must be able to translate technical requirements into clear recommendations that customers can understand and trust.
It also creates opportunities for better digital buying experiences, including product selectors that simplify complex decisions.
Keeping pace with an evolving industry
Adrian describes the lubricants industry as evolving faster than at any previous point in his career.
Changes in equipment design, engine technology, environmental expectations and lubricant performance are continually reshaping the products being developed and supplied.
For manufacturers, this means anticipating future requirements rather than simply responding to current demand.
For commercial teams, it means keeping product knowledge current and understanding why developments matter to customers.
And for businesses as a whole, it requires flexibility.
A company that becomes too comfortable with its existing product portfolio, established processes or traditional customer conversations risks falling behind.
The challenge is to ensure that knowledge, communication and commercial capability evolve alongside the technology.
3. What are customers really buying?
Reliability matters more than the price on the drum
One of the strongest commercial discussions in the podcast centres on the distinction between the price of a lubricant and the value it delivers.
Adrian uses agricultural customers as an example.
A farmer facing a narrow weather window to bring in a harvest cannot afford to have essential machinery sitting in a workshop because of an avoidable lubrication-related failure.
The lubricant may represent a relatively small proportion of operating costs, yet its performance can have significant consequences.
The same principle applies to transport, manufacturing and industrial operations.
When equipment availability, productivity and delivery commitments are at stake, the purchasing decision becomes much broader than the initial price.
The real consideration is what the lubricant helps the customer achieve and what it helps them avoid.
Understanding the application makes the difference
Knowing the specifications of a lubricant is important, but understanding the application gives that knowledge commercial meaning.
Adrian explains how technically sophisticated customers increasingly expect suppliers to understand their operating environments, the demands placed on equipment and the consequences of incorrect product selection.
A lubricant specification provides essential information, but the real value emerges when that information can be connected to the customer’s circumstances.
What conditions is the machinery operating in? What are the performance expectations? What could cause failure? How does the correct product contribute to reliability?
These are the questions that help transform a product conversation into a discussion about operational performance.
And they provide opportunities for technically knowledgeable suppliers to stand apart.
The true cost of getting it wrong
The initial purchase price of a lubricant is visible and relatively easy to compare.
The financial consequences of selecting the wrong lubricant can be considerably more difficult to calculate.
Equipment downtime, component damage, lost production, maintenance costs and interrupted customer commitments can all influence the true cost of a purchasing decision.
During the discussion, Steve makes the point that businesses are frequently buying confidence that their supplier understands these potential risks.
It is a powerful commercial observation.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on product features, suppliers should be helping customers understand the practical consequences of their choices.
That means bringing technical evidence, application knowledge and commercial understanding into the same conversation.
Technical confidence creates commercial value
Adrian observes that different groups of customers require different levels of technical reassurance.
A private motorist purchasing a small quantity of engine oil may approach the decision very differently from a fleet operator responsible for hundreds of vehicles.
For more technically demanding customers, evidence, credibility and confidence in the supplier become essential considerations.
This aligns closely with Plan Grow Do’s Buyer Revolution research into lubricant purchasing behaviour.
The research explores the importance of trust, preparation, expertise and the changing expectations buyers place on their suppliers.
There is also a connection with the research into standards, approvals and the factors influencing customer choice.
Technical competence creates the opportunity to be considered. The ability to explain its relevance to the customer helps create the confidence needed to buy.
4. Bridging the gap between technical innovation and commercial adoption
The challenge of changing established thinking
Technical progress does not automatically translate into customer acceptance.
Adrian highlights the development of lower-viscosity engine oils as an example.
For operators accustomed to traditional viscosity grades, the move towards thinner lubricants can challenge long-established assumptions about protection, durability and equipment reliability.
Manufacturers and additive companies may have undertaken extensive research, development and testing to support these technologies, yet customers still need reassurance.
They must understand why the technology has changed, what it offers and how it remains suitable for their equipment.
This creates what Adrian describes as a form of technical inertia.
The technology progresses, but established thinking can take longer to move.
Innovation requires explanation
It is easy for those immersed in product development to become enthusiastic about the latest technological advance.
However, the commercial success of that innovation depends on whether customers understand its relevance.
Improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, equipment protection and operating performance may all provide compelling reasons for adopting new lubricants.
But these benefits must be explained in language that relates to customer priorities.
A technically superior formulation is only part of the proposition.
Customers need to understand how it applies to their equipment, why it has been developed and what difference it could make.
This is where education becomes an essential part of introducing new products and technologies to the market.
Educating the sales team is equally important
Customer education is only one side of the challenge.
Adrian makes an important point about the need for internal teams to understand emerging technologies before they can confidently explain them to customers.
Technical departments may be looking several years ahead, speaking with additive suppliers, monitoring manufacturer requirements and preparing future product strategies.
Salespeople, meanwhile, are often focused on established products and familiar customer applications.
Bridging that gap requires ongoing communication and development.
Simply providing a technical data sheet is unlikely to equip a salesperson with the knowledge needed to communicate a new product’s commercial value.
They need to understand the application, the reason for change and the questions customers are likely to raise.
Bringing technical, sales and marketing together
An interesting part of Adrian’s perspective is the importance he places on collaboration across departments.
Technical teams understand formulation and performance. Sales teams hear customer concerns and encounter commercial objections. Marketing teams bring insight into the market and help communicate value.
When these capabilities work together, businesses are better placed to develop products that customers need and explain why those products matter.
When they operate in isolation, valuable knowledge can become trapped within departments.
The wider lesson applies well beyond lubricants.
Businesses need to create opportunities for different functions to share understanding, challenge assumptions and build a common view of the customer.
This is particularly relevant to the development of more effective B2B sales capability and customer-focused selling.
5. Making the complicated simple: the power of education and content
Speaking the customer’s language
Few industries have as many acronyms, classifications and technical abbreviations as lubricants.
For those working within the sector, the terminology becomes second nature.
For customers, it can create a significant barrier to understanding.
Adrian explains how the Morris Lubricants marketing team, led by Jason Vigras, has helped refine the way technical information is communicated.
Jason’s perspective as someone who joined from outside the industry proved valuable because he approached technical explanations without assuming the audience already understood them.
The challenge was to identify what a particular characteristic actually meant to the customer.
Reducing technical noise creates space for clearer explanations, better understanding and more meaningful conversations.
Turning specifications into benefits
A particularly useful example from the conversation concerns the technical characteristics associated with lubricant pumpability.
Within the industry, discussions about viscosity testing and MRV measurements may be perfectly familiar.
But those details have limited meaning to a customer unless someone explains why they matter.
Adrian describes connecting the technical characteristic to the practical benefit of moving lubricant through an engine, the energy required to do so and the potential implications for efficiency and emissions.
This illustrates an important communication skill.
Technical information needs translating into practical outcomes.
Customers should be able to understand what a characteristic does, why it matters and how it relates to their own requirements.
That translation is where genuine commercial value begins to emerge.
Putting people at the heart of technical communication
Adrian’s appearances alongside Guy Martin have become an important part of Morris Lubricants’ educational approach.
The conversations work because they bring together technical expertise, practical engineering experience and genuine curiosity.
Guy asks questions that many customers might have, giving Adrian an opportunity to explain subjects that would otherwise remain wrapped in technical terminology.
Their content covers subjects including automotive oils, commercial vehicles, off-highway applications and lubricant manufacturing.
The result is an engaging way of communicating information that might be considerably less accessible in a traditional technical presentation.
The Morris Lubricants How Oil Is Used series with Guy Martin provides a useful example of this approach in action.
Building trust through education
Adrian talks enthusiastically about the feedback Morris Lubricants receives from its educational videos and articles.
He describes content attracting millions of views and generating comments from people who feel they have finally understood something that previously seemed complicated.
What makes that feedback particularly significant is the nature of the response.
People are grateful for the explanation.
They have learnt something useful, improved their understanding or gained confidence in a technical subject.
This demonstrates the broader role that content can play in the relationship between suppliers and buyers.
Useful information can establish credibility, demonstrate expertise and help customers develop confidence before a commercial conversation begins.
That connects with Plan Grow Do’s research into how far buyers progress before contacting a supplier.
The more independently buyers research, the greater the opportunity for suppliers to support that early learning.
Reaching the next generation
Perhaps one of the most encouraging aspects of the conversation is Adrian’s commitment to helping younger people understand lubrication.
Morris Lubricants works with schools, colleges and universities, including students studying motor vehicle and agricultural engineering.
Adrian explains that students may learn extensively about machinery and mechanical systems without necessarily receiving equivalent education about the lubricants those systems depend upon.
Providing that understanding early can make an important difference.
It helps young engineers develop better technical judgement while introducing them to an industry they might otherwise overlook as a career opportunity.
There is also a wider responsibility here.
Experienced professionals possess knowledge developed over decades. Finding ways to share that knowledge with the next generation is an important part of sustaining the industry’s future.
6. The next generation: curiosity, collaboration and adaptability
Avoid becoming too specialised too early
When asked what advice he would give to someone entering the industry today, Adrian encourages them to develop a broad understanding of the business before becoming too narrowly focused.
A strong technical foundation is valuable, as is commercial, marketing or operational expertise.
But understanding how those disciplines connect creates a wider perspective.
Someone working in research and development benefits from understanding customers. A salesperson benefits from appreciating the challenges faced by manufacturing and technical teams.
Adrian’s own career demonstrates how opportunities outside an initially chosen path can become important later.
His advice is to remain open-minded, explore different areas and avoid overlooking experiences simply because they do not appear directly relevant to an immediate ambition.
Learn across departments
The increasing complexity of the lubricants industry makes collaboration and shared knowledge more important.
Adrian encourages people to understand how their organisations operate and where their individual roles fit within the wider industry.
That means taking an interest in activities beyond an immediate job description.
A marketing professional might learn from the technical department. A technical specialist might benefit from spending time with customers. A salesperson might gain valuable insight from understanding how products are manufactured and tested.
The more connected these perspectives become, the better equipped individuals are to understand challenges and identify opportunities.
It is also a valuable leadership lesson.
Organisations benefit when people are encouraged to learn from one another and develop a broader view of the business.
Embrace change and new technology
Adrian is clear that the speed of change makes adaptability essential.
The industry he joined in 1984 bears little resemblance to the one he works in today, and he expects that evolution to continue.
For individuals, this means remaining prepared to develop new skills, challenge established approaches and respond to changing expectations.
For businesses, it means having the ability to make decisions and move when opportunities emerge.
Adrian points to the agility of Morris Lubricants, including its relatively flat management structure, as a strength in responding to change.
There is an important distinction between possessing experience and relying entirely on past experience.
The most useful expertise continues to evolve.
Using AI intelligently
Artificial intelligence also features towards the end of the conversation, particularly in the context of learning and accessing information.
Adrian recognises the potential of AI tools to support research and help people gather knowledge that would previously have been considerably more difficult to access.
However, he emphasises the importance of questioning and checking the information being presented.
Access to an answer does not guarantee that the answer is accurate or appropriate.
This is particularly relevant in a technically demanding industry where incorrect information can have practical consequences.
The opportunity lies in combining modern tools with technical judgement, experience and critical thinking.
It is a subject that connects with Plan Grow Do’s AI Readiness research, which explores how the lubricants industry is approaching the opportunities and challenges associated with AI.
Keep asking questions
Perhaps the simplest advice from Adrian’s four decades in lubricants is also the most enduring.
Stay curious.
Explore opportunities, learn from colleagues, understand the wider industry and remain willing to change your thinking.
The pace of technological development means that even experienced professionals cannot assume they already know everything they need to know.
Adrian’s enthusiasm demonstrates that a long career does not have to result in a fixed perspective.
Quite the opposite.
Experience can provide the confidence to explore new ideas and the understanding to recognise their potential.
For anyone starting a career in lubricants, or indeed anyone already well established within it, that is a particularly useful message.
Final thoughts: The future of lubricants is still about people
There is something refreshing about hearing someone with more than 40 years of industry experience talk with such enthusiasm about the future.
Adrian Hill has witnessed significant changes in lubrication technology, manufacturing, product development and technical communication. He has seen product ranges expand, laboratory processes transform and the demands placed on manufacturers and customers become increasingly sophisticated.
Yet throughout the conversation, his enthusiasm keeps returning to people.
The colleagues who help develop new technologies. The customers who need reassurance. The marketing professionals who ask questions that technical specialists might overlook. The students beginning their engineering careers. And the individuals willing to share what they know.
For commercial leaders, there is an equally important takeaway.
As lubricants become more technically complex, suppliers have an opportunity to create value by helping customers understand their choices.
That requires more than product knowledge. It calls for curiosity about the customer, an appreciation of their operating environment and the ability to translate technical expertise into meaningful commercial outcomes.
It also requires investment in education, communication and collaboration across the business.
Perhaps the most valuable lesson from Adrian’s career is that experience should create more opportunities to learn.
Four decades into a career that began with a childhood fascination for chemistry, Adrian is still asking why.
And that might be the best example he could offer the next generation.
Listen to the conversation on Beyond The Blend
This article draws on a Beyond The Blend conversation between Steve Knapp and Adrian Hill, Group Technical Director at Morris Lubricants.
Beyond The Blend goes behind the science, products and processes to explore the personal and professional journeys of the people who make the lubricants industry move.
Hosted by Steve Knapp and Rob Taylor of Plan Grow Do, the podcast features conversations with professionals from across the global lubricants supply chain, sharing experiences, career journeys, challenges and perspectives on the future.
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For more insight into changing buyer expectations, modern lubricant sales and commercial development, visit Plan Grow Do.
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