Staff Spotlight: Andrew Rushton

Introducing our Research & Development Manager, Andrew Rushton…

Universal Containers have certainly come up with some interesting container conversions recently, does the company have any new concepts up its sleeve?

We always try to develop new concepts and designs to keep things fresh, we have a great project launching in early February which I have been working on for a long time. It’s something I have had in my mind for many years. Make sure you keep an eye on our social media accounts for the launch, it is not to be missed and the conversion is going to appeal to so many people. We are all very excited.

Describe your role in the company?

My official job tittle is Research & Development Manager – Which involves Heading up our amazing Sales Division, New Developments and Designs, Overseeing all of our office staff, work planning and marketing.

What is it about your job that you enjoy the most?

The thing I have always liked the most about my job is the variety of custom conversions, it always amazes me the amount of bespoke uses a shipping container can be converted into from a simple office, canteen, meeting room or even drying rooms. I also love working on the more complex designs such as modular units, offices, housing, medical, laboratories, biomass and chemical storage units. The possibilities really are endless I have always said shipping containers are just like Lego for grown-ups.

Where do you want to take the business in the next five years?

The business is exactly where I wanted it to be, we have tried over the last 10 years to offer as many containerised services as possible such as container sales, container hire, self-storage, container conversions, container repair (on-site or off-site), container parts and cabin buildings. I am sure over the next 10 years the company will continue to grow in size and success.

What has been your most memorable moment while at universal?

I would have to say when we launched the universal containers coffee shop, the response we had worldwide was amazing. I knew a lot of people would be interested in the design but it did even better than I could have imagined. We had over 1.7 million views in just four weeks and thousands of emails. We could not have predicated such a huge response and just wanted to thank everyone for getting in touch about the coffee shops we are looking forward to getting to work on these conversions.

What would be your dream container conversion?

I can’t tell you what my dream container conversion would be, as you can imagine I have to keep my cards close to my chest. But what I will say is it’s certainly amazing and hopefully will be coming soon.

As an established member of the team, what do you think the secret to Universal Containers’ success is?

The secret to Universal Containers Services success is simple, everything we do is customer focused. From the first moment we receive an enquiry, to the day the container is delivered.

We strive to fulfil customer expectations, a customer may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Do you have any hidden talents?

Hidden talents? I have many, but my best unknown talent has to be that I am an amazing juggler. I juggle everything from clubs, balls and even knives. I spent a lot of time when I was younger mastering the art form which I have continued to this day. I have a saying in the office, life is a struggle, if you can’t juggle. Juggling is all about learning and remembering patterns, I normally juggle for 10 minutes every morning before I set off to work, I find it a good way to start the day and to keep the mind fresh.