Apiezon Memories: Steve Marsh - In Safe Hands

“He asked about me, whether I was married, whether I had children, what I did here.” For around ten minutes, they chatted about work, life and Apiezon.

“It’s something I will never forget,” says Steve

Twenty-five years later, it remains one of many memories from a career that has become intertwined with the story of one of Britain’s most respected scientific products.

Today, Steve is Team Leader in production. His colleagues affectionately call him “The Oracle” because of the knowledge he has built up over a quarter of a century. But ask him what has kept him at Apiezon for so long and his answer is simple.

“It’s never been just a job for me.”

Spend a few minutes talking with Steve and it quickly becomes clear what he means. For Steve, the story of Apiezon has always been a story about people.

He talks about the colleagues who trained him when he first joined. The people who have retired over the years. The friendships built across different departments. The owners who took the time to walk the shop floor and ask how things were going.

He remembers former owner Colin Salt regularly stopping for a chat. Since retiring, Colin has passed the baton to his son Giles, continuing the family connection that has always been part of life at Apiezon. “How’s things going?” It was a simple gesture, but one that stayed with him.

Family also runs through Steve’s Apiezon story.

Over the years, he worked alongside his brother. Today, his son Ethan works with him too. Alongside colleague Adam, there are just three of them in the production team, working closely together every day. Steve has a habit of calling both Adam and Ethan “son”.

When Ethan first joined the department, Steve laughs that every time he called out “son”, both of them would turn round.

It’s a small story, but one that perfectly captures the atmosphere Steve has helped create.

When asked how he sees his role as Team Leader, his answer isn’t what you might expect.

“I keep smiles on their faces.”

For Steve, leadership is about looking after people.

If someone isn’t quite themselves, he notices. He checks in. He makes time for a conversation. The team look after one another, creating a workplace that feels less like a department and more like an extended family.

That sense of care extends to the products themselves.

One of the things Steve enjoys most about his role is seeing the entire process from start to finish. From raw materials arriving on site, through production and packaging, to the finished product leaving Manchester for customers around the world.

“Everything is done here.”

There is obvious pride in knowing that every stage of the process happens under one roof.

Over the years, Steve has seen huge advances in technology. Touchscreen systems now sit alongside equipment that has been producing Apiezon products for decades. Yet some things haven’t changed. The skill. The experience. The commitment to getting it right.

One of his most vivid memories came when the business relocated and the huge production stills had to be moved across Manchester.

Standing between 25 and 30 feet high, the equipment travelled at little more than walking pace. Routes had to be carefully planned and every obstacle considered. “It was nerve-racking.”

Today, those same stills continue to play a role in production.

When asked what inventor Bill Burch might think if he walked into the factory today, Steve smiles.

“Wow. You make so much of it now.”

It’s a simple observation, but it speaks volumes. What began as a specialist product a century ago is now used in universities, laboratories and advanced scientific environments across the globe. Some of it has even reached space.

“NASA use H Grease,” Steve says matter-of-factly.

It’s perhaps the most Steve-like moment of the entire conversation. Mentioning one of the world’s most famous organisations with the same calm pride he uses when talking about his team. For him, the real achievement isn’t where the product ends up. It’s the people who make it.

When asked what he is most proud of he talks about the team.

The people who taught him when he first started. The colleagues he has worked alongside over the years. And the next generation now carrying that knowledge forward. “We’ve got a fantastic team,” he says.

The knowledge built up over decades is being passed from one generation to the next, helping ensure the product remains in safe and caring hands. And perhaps that’s what sits at the heart of Steve’s story.

A hundred years after Apiezon was invented, the products continue to travel across the world. The technology continues to evolve. The business continues to grow.

But the things Steve values most remain exactly the same.

Pride in the work.

Care for the people around him.

The products may travel across the world, but for Steve, it’s the people who matter most.

The ones who taught him.

The ones he works alongside today.

And the ones who will carry that knowledge forward for years to come.

Discover the full history behind Apiezon here.