Rhino Doors provides key sectors across the UK with the strength to protect, supplying a comprehensive range of pre-engineered, Security, Fire, Blast & Acoustic rated doors for the protection of national assets. 

In this Spotlight on Team Rhino feature, we meet Jason Morris, Head of Operations at Rhino Doors, to find out what happens behind the scenes, how things have changed since he joined the team, and what 2022 holds for the company. 

Talk us through your background and what led you to a career at Rhino Doors.

I‘ve been working in an engineering environment for the last 26 years. I started out as an apprentice, specialising in bespoke welding and fixtures, at an automation engineering company. Over the years my job role evolved as I took on additional responsibilities such as; accountability for the devolvement and training plan for new apprentices, leading off-site installation of special purpose machines, and monitoring quality within the manufacturing process. All the experience I gained, led to my progression take on supervisory and management roles within the business. 

I joined Rhino Doors two and a half years ago, after seeing the prospect of Rhino’s growth plans. I saw this as an ideal opportunity to progress my career. Not only was this a personal challenge, for me to be able to show where I could add value to the business, but the move also gave me a chance to develop my skillset – which shows now, as I am currently enrolled on a Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership. 

As Head of Operations, what does your day-to-day role consist of?

On the whole, my role is quite varied. As Head of Operations, I take over a project on completion of the survey and drawing approval, at which point it’s subject to procurement and the doors are ready for manufacture. We normally have an 8-10 week timeline for the manufacture of our doors (this is typical for our pre-engineered NPSA – formerly CPNI – doors), however, our clients often have a tight deadline for completion so our aim is to exceed their expectations where possible.

I also look after the day-to-day Health & Safety and Quality aspects of the shop floor, as well as liaising between departments of the business to ensure that the project is progressing as planned, workflow is managed effectively and that we meet our deadlines for delivery to the client.

What do you enjoy the most about working at Rhino Doors? 

Every day at Rhino Doors is different. It may sound like a cliché, but it really is the case and that’s what motivates me because I enjoy the different challenges. 

We’re constantly looking at new ways to improve quality. When I started here, I was essentially given a blank canvas, meaning I could put my own stamp on the way we do things. Assessing processes and how we can make things better at Rhino Doors is something I am very passionate about, especially as things are always evolving and changing at such a fast pace. So, I strive to do what I can to create a better working environment. 

Which has been your favourite project to work on so far? 

We’ve faced a lot of challenges over the last two years, however, one particular project that sticks out for me is the Qatar water treatment project, which saw us produce a door that stood at just under 9 metres tall. 

This is not something I had experienced previously; the sheer scale of the door, how we were able to produce the doors at Port Talbot, and the overall logistics of transporting the door to Qatar. The doors were shipped to Qatar by boat which took several weeks, and we then sent a team over to supervise and install the doors. This project was a challenging one for myself and the team, but it was a huge learning curve and provided us with great experience for future projects.

Since joining Rhino, how have things changed? Which have been the biggest or most impactful changes?

The company has gone through a period of significant growth over the last 12 months and we’re always looking at the processes that have proved successful and those which need refining. My main focus has been on investing in our employees and their personal development as this in turn leads to a quality product being produced for the client.

One initiative that has recently been introduce is an early Friday finish for staff, which boosts the team’s productivity throughout the week. We’ve also purchased new tools for greater efficiency and a new forklift coupled with the relevant training, which has made a considerable difference in the way we handle goods in the factory. 

Various other changes have also been implemented, including investing in our packaging to make it 100% recyclable and introducing improved quality checks. This means that no door leaves Port Talbot without passing through a rigorous process before delivery to the client.  

I’m also an advocate for apprenticeships, so, we’ve introduced an apprenticeship scheme which has proved to be a great asset for us as we train talent for the future and strengthen certain areas of the business.  

What does 2022 hold for Rhino Doors?

2022 will be an extremely busy year for us. We already have a strong order book which is encouraging for us moving forward. We also have some very interesting and challenging projects coming up which I’m looking forward to working on. I’m hoping we can build on the success of last year and continue to go from strength to strength. 

If you would like to find out about how Rhino Doors could help your business, get in touch today. And to find out more about the team, take a look at our recent Spotlight on Rhino pieces featuring Jez Alston and Jac Edwards.