INTRODUCTION
OCL came into being in 2007 to fulfil the need for a reliable contractor that provided a quality service. I am proud to say that, since then, the company has developed, creating a solid structure with a loyal and professional workforce at its heart.
Over a decade later it is continuing to evolve. OCL has become OCL Group, expanding its offer by investing in further capabilities whilst retaining its core values. It’s great to be able to say that we still have the same core team that we started with – and that everyone throughout the company remains as motivated and excited about continuing our journey.
As with any building, I believe that solid foundations provide the best possible base for growth. We’ve never been in a rush to fail, much preferring to take the time to ensure we succeed: integrating and developing our systems has allowed every part of the company, and every person within it, to grow at a sustainable pace.
I look forward, eagerly, to meeting the new challenges we face in the coming years. I believe that our committed and determined team will continue to maintain our watchword – to ‘raise standards’ – and successfully meet our clients’ needs.
James Cooper
Founder and Director
What we do
OCL Group is a specialised contractor operating across the civil engineering, building and mechanical and electrical sectors of the construction industry. We offer a comprehensive range of services, both as a contractor and subcontractor, including the supply of manpower. The group has four key divisions – Civil Engineering, Building, M&E Services and Recruitment and Labour Supply – that work together on a fully integrated and collaborative basis.
Vision and success
OCL was formed to offer a reliable, personal and bespoke service delivering high-quality work to its clients. Attaining that vision can be attributed to ‘raising standards’, carefully selecting the staff we need, providing them with appropriate and ongoing training and integrating them into the company’s culture – our core values of building a business based on creating and maintaining long-term partnerships with our clients; of not compromising on quality, health and safety and of building a reputation that is based on expertise, knowledge and performance. We aspire to become a ‘trusted extension’ of our clients’ own teams: we are delighted when we succeed to that position.
One of the keys to our success is that we prefer to carry out as much work as possible in-house, using our own experienced staff and tried-and-tested facilities to self-deliver projects for our clients. Our staff are highly committed, motivated and have the capability to work throughout a project’s lifecycle, from the initial surveys and estimates through to commissioning and operational delivery.
Growth
Since its formation in 2007, OCL has grown, moving from its founder’s flat to a large multi-office, fabrication and storage facility located alongside London Southend Airport. We’ve expanded in line with our original business plan and growth forecast, meeting all of planned commercial and quality targets. Our workforce has grown tenfold since 2007; from a nucleus of ten key-operatives there are now nearly 100 working across the four divisions, and our management team has grown at the same ratio. It’s good to know that the original ‘ten’ are still part of the team.
Systems
Our staff’s hard work and diligence over the years has been supported by the success of our investment in technology and, in particular, developing integrated health, safety and quality systems that touch every part of the group. Our unique database and training system provides streamlining and efficiencies in data handling, document control and compliance systems monitoring throughout a project’s life cycle.
Using this system allows us to focus on sustainability and raising standards, helping us to excel in delivering client satisfaction.
Employees
Our staff are, of course, one of our most valuable assets and we encourage progression with a ‘Learn to earn’ scheme that rewards employees and regular contractors for their individual training efforts during their careers at OCL.
To stay abreast of the rapid evolution of infrastructure rules and standards, all our operatives receive regular instruction and subsequent testing through OCL’s training hub, the facility being linked directly to specific client projects and infrastructure requirements. The result is that standards and ITPs (?) are comprehensively understood by all OCL operatives engaged on a project, overcoming the risks associate with team leaders having to disseminate knowledge to their teams. Operatives at every level are encouraged to read and understand all associated project documentation including method statements, RaMS (?), SSOW (?) task briefs along with any other HSE requirements.
Accreditation
As our service offer grows we ensure we underpin our capabilities with any industry accreditations that are necessary. We have received a five-star rating in the Achilles Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) over the last two years; have won UKAS accreditation in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001; have gained Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 and National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) certification; have both SafeContractor and Contractor Health and Safety (CHAS) accreditation; Constructionline membership and are members of The Mayor of London’s Fleet Operating Recognition Scheme (FORS).
The future
We hope that the effort and determination we put into helping our workforce engage effectively with our clients has a synergetic effect, allowing us to successfully deliver their projects both now and in the future.
