Category: News

Unity: Arthur McKay to operate under OCS banner

Posted on by ameliaroberts

The OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – have been the driving force for us as we have transformed as a business following the merger of OCS and Atalian Servest.

Arthur McKay, a leading building support service organisation, was an Atalian Servest company that provided smart and integrated services to over 1,000 client sites around the UK. As part of the consolidation of our operations and unification of our purpose and vision, Arthur McKay will no longer existing as a separate entity and is instead operating under the OCS banner.

We will continue to provide the same services and solutions – mechanical and electrical, fire protection, building fabric and data networks, to name just a few. Our 1,500 colleagues from Arthur McKay will continue to utilise their specialist knowledge and skills to ensure that customers benefit from a solution tailored to their specific needs, but now have the additional benefit of the backing and support of the OCS business.

The unification of Arthur McKay and our Hard Services division is an exciting change and one in which we hope will take us one step closer to achieving our mission of making people and places the best they can be.

“Bringing Arthur McKay and the rest of the M&E and Hard Services businesses together as a single OCS division will provide a far greater depth of capability and capacity. This will ensure that our customers receive the very best service and enable the drive for innovation.”

Nick Maggs

Managing Director – Hard Services

The Power of Listening: Why our colleague engagement survey is essential

Posted on by ameliaroberts

Embracing global perspectives

Every one of our OCS colleagues is valued, and as the Group Chief People Officer at OCS, in a company as diverse as ours and spread across numerous countries and embracing many languages and cultures, it’s imperative to truly listen to our colleagues. This understanding forms the bedrock of our strategy to become the world’s leading facilities service company.

The significance of every voice

In an organisation as vast as OCS, the insights and experiences of our colleagues, particularly those on the front lines, are invaluable. These team members are the eyes and ears of our operations, interacting directly with our customers and experiencing first-hand the daily challenges and triumphs. We must not only hear their voices but actively listen and engage with them.

Beyond the survey: A commitment to action

Conducting a colleague engagement survey is vital in this engagement process. However, the true essence of these surveys lies in what we do with the information we gather. It’s about turning feedback into action, ensuring every suggestion and insight raised is addressed, not just acknowledged. This approach isn’t just about improving our operational efficiency; it’s about fostering a culture where every colleague feels respected, valued, and heard.

Creating a stronger, unified OCS

Our ambition to be the best in the world is deeply intertwined with our internal culture. Engaging our colleagues through these surveys is more than just gathering data; it’s about empowering them to shape the future of OCS. Their insights are pivotal in crafting policies and practices that resonate with our diverse workforce, driving us towards a cohesive and inclusive organisational culture.

Conclusion: Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement

In our journey towards making people and places the best they can be, the engagement and satisfaction of our colleagues remains a top priority. Through our engagement surveys, we’re not just collecting opinions but inviting our colleagues to participate actively in our journey towards excellence. By listening and responding to them, we are enhancing their experience at OCS and reinforcing our position as a global leader. Together, we are building an exemplary OCS in service, colleague satisfaction, and engagement.

OCS Launches Sunflower Lanyard Scheme in partnership with Gatwick Airport

Posted on by danbarber

Now Globally Recognised: Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

The Sunflower Lanyard Scheme, initially launched at Gatwick Airport by OCS Group to assist passengers with hidden disabilities, has been successfully adopted in airports globally. This innovative initiative, which began as a trial over the summer, has significantly enhanced the travel experience for thousands of passengers and their families worldwide with hidden disabilities such as dementia, autism, or hearing loss.

Discreet recognition

Introducing these distinctive lanyards lets travellers discreetly inform airport teams of their need for tailored assistance. The lanyard ensures they receive the proper support throughout their journey, such as extra time for processing information or preparing belongings before security screening. Gatwick’s assistance teams and those at other airports globally have undergone specialised training to recognise and appropriately respond to these lanyards.

This scheme is part of a broader initiative by OCS Group, which provides assistance services at multiple airports, including Gatwick and multiple airports UK & Ireland and Global airports. The initiative was informed by the “Challenging for Change” report, which captured the experiences of passengers with disabilities and suggested improvements. Follow-up workshops facilitated dialogue and idea exchange among airlines, airport operators, baggage handlers, disability groups, and support service providers.

Charity Partnership & Collaboration

Key UK charities like the Alzheimer’s Society, The National Autistic Society, and Action on Hearing Loss have collaborated with Gatwick Airport and OCS Group in this endeavour. At launch, Nikki Barton, Head of Terminals and Passenger Assistance at Gatwick, highlighted the scheme’s role in reducing travel stress for passengers with hidden disabilities and the importance of training for frontline teams in enhancing passenger experiences.

OCS Group has 60 years of expertise in the aviation sector and their commitment to excellence for passengers needing additional assistance. The lanyard scheme, born from extensive consultations with disability groups, aims to minimise misinterpretations of the specific needs associated with hidden disabilities.

Specialist Colleague Training

OCS has provided persons with reduced mobility (PRM) services at Gatwick since November 2010. The lanyard scheme’s rollout was supported by comprehensive training, with NVQ Level 2 training in dementia care now standard for OCS teams in the departure lounges. Numerous Dementia Friends Champions have been trained across the airports to further the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme.

Sue Rennie, Alzheimer’s Society Services Manager for West Sussex North, said, “People with dementia and their family carers often find travelling daunting when faced with unfamiliar and busy airports. The lanyard scheme for passengers with hidden disabilities introduced at Gatwick offers reassurance to those who use it. It also helps airport teams know that they may require additional support, which can improve the passengers’ travel experience at the airport.”

 

Unity: Arthur McKay to operate under the OCS banner

Posted on by ameliaroberts

The OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – have been the driving force for us as we have transformed as a business following the merger of OCS and Atalian Servest.

Arthur McKay, a leading building support service organisation, was an Atalian Servest company that provided smart and integrated services to over 1,000 client sites around the UK. As part of the consolidation of our operations and unifications of our purpose and vision, Arthur McKay is no longer existing as a separate entity and is instead operating under the OCS banner.

We will continue to provide the same services and solutions – mechanical and electrical solutions, fire protection services, networks and FM services, to name just a few. Our 1,500 colleagues from Arthur McKay will continue to utilise their specialist knowledge and skills to ensure that customers benefit from a solution tailored to their specific needs.

The unification of Arthur McKay and our Hard Services division is an exciting change and one in which we hope will take us one step closer to achieving our mission of making people and places the best they can be.

Interested in Hard Services?

Contact our team today to talk through your maintenance, minor works or capital projects requirements.

Merger completes between Atalian Servest’s and OCS’s UK, Ireland and Asia operations.

Posted on by danbarber

Atalian UK, Ireland and Asia operations to merge with OCS Group to create new, leading international FM provider

Following the recent acquisition of OCS Group by Clayton Dubilier & Rice, Atalian confirms the sale of its operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Asia to the private investment firm

In a move that will create one of the world’s largest international facilities service providers, Atalian Global Services has confirmed the sale of its UK, Ireland and Asia operations, along with its specialist automotive division Aktrion, to Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), the private investment firm that recently acquired OCS Group, with the intention that the businesses be merged over the next twelve months, opening a new chapter for the two firms.

Atalian’s Group CEO Rob Legge will become Group CEO of the newly merged businesses.

Further communication on this exciting news, including the company’s ambition and vision will be shared in the coming weeks ahead.

 

 

Groundhouse Giveback Scheme raises £10,000 for farmers in need

Posted on by emmacook

Giving back to local communities

We have been working with the Capucas (COCAFCAL) Co-operative and donating £2 from every case of coffee we purchase, which then pays into a revolving fund that helps improve the living standards for the smaller coffee bean producers.

The needs of the farming community changes regularly, so the Giveback Programme allows the money to be invested in funds where it matters and is needed the most. The fund has been developed as support to small producers’ specific needs such as improvement of housing, shelters and production infrastructure – which will benefit both the producers and their families, with the aim of increasing the economic and productive income for the farmers of the Capucas.

From courses on growing vegetables to reduce food costs and improve health, to providing tools they need to harvest, as well as basic housing and infrastructure improvements, the fund helps with whatever the community needs.

This year our Groundhouse Give Back Programme has hit an amazing total of £10,000!

This money will positively impact improving living standards in the farming communities, from where we source some of our Blend 7 coffee. We are incredibly proud of our teams, they have been working extremely hard to promote our Groundhouse Coffee brand and have been serving nothing less than the best coffee.

“We decided to start a field school for the implementation of vegetables where more than 30+ Households have participated, including young people between 17 to 25 years and adults. This will benefit small producers, who lack suitable conditions to live in dignity and offer better spaces to their coffee in each harvest. It’s also being used for inputs, equipment, and first-hand tools such as mowers, pumps, inputs, etc. Thankyou Groundhouse, this money will change lives!”

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Capucas café

Sean Fisher’s OCS Journey to Cleaning CEO

Posted on by danbarber

Summary

  • Sean joined Servest UK in 2003, and his first role saw him become a regular at Sheffield’s famous Gatecrasher nightclub
  • Treating the business as your own is an important mindset for success, Sean believes
  • Success for Sean is OCS becoming synonymous with being the best
OCS’s newly appointed CEO of Cleaning, Sean Fisher, has a long association with both the legacy OCS business and cleaning as a profession.

It was back in 2003 that Sean, who originally hails from South Africa, began working for what was then Servest UK as a site supervisor, after studying IT in his homeland.

Over the two decades that followed, Sean led retail and cleaning divisions, and served as Chief Operating Officer at Atalian Servest, before being appointed to head up the new OCS cleaning division.

“To take on that first role with Servest, I needed to move to Sheffield – so I moved in with our cleaners,” says Sean.

“I moved into the house they were sharing, and they taught me how to clean. I started with Gatecrasher nightclub and Bed nightclub, before moving into an area management role, and then moving to the head office in Bury St Edmunds.”

The attributes for success

Since then, Sean’s played a key role in a business that’s experienced sizeable organic growth, but those early experiences cemented in his mind the attributes that are needed to succeed.

“People need to be passionate about what they do, believe in what they do, and treat the business as if it was their own.”

Sean Fisher

CEO of Cleaning

“You’ve got to have the energy and the edge – the pace at which we operate is relentless, but at the same time, it’s good fun.”

The new OCS TRUE values – Trust, Respect, Unity and Empowerment – sit well with Sean, who believes when you find the right people, it makes everything else significantly easier.

“That’s everything we stand for, as a business, as a cleaning business, and myself as an individual,” he says.

“When you get the right people, who are true to those values, you have a successful business – and I think those values suit us perfectly.”

Putting values into practice

In practice, for Sean, those values look fairly simple – but the impact they can have is seismic.

“You’ve got to be professional, polite and well-mannered – that’s a given,” he says.

“At the start of every shift, you’ve got to be on site before the shift starts. I expect all of my operators to be visible on site, engaging with customers, and making sure they’re getting the best out of their team in terms of productivity and standards.”

And that engagement with customers – which builds unity and trust, as well as demonstrating respect – is essential to building partnerships that truly help people and places be their best.

“It’s important to build those relationships because, together, we’ll achieve significantly better outcomes,” says Sean.

“We do a lot of relationship mapping, from site level all the way to procurement and CEOs, and if you get that right, you can have the right conversations with the right people – you’re not forcing a relationship, but building something that will be beneficial for both parties in the longer term.”

Building solid foundations for OCS

A successful relationship can deliver a number of strong outcomes,  made possible by the successful day-to-day delivery of services. Those longer-term outcomes are something Sean is focused on in his new role as CEO of Cleaning.

First, however, comes a period of building the foundations that will serve the new OCS business well over the decades to come.

“My main objective this year is to get things like budgets, succession plans and performance management right, ensuring we have the right people in the right roles, and are giving the right opportunities to those people, too,” he says.

“That will create an incredibly solid foundation from which we can build upon and deliver on our overall business mission.”

That mission is, of course, to be the best facilities management business in the world, making people and places the best they can be – and it’s a mission that enthuses Sean as looks ahead to the coming months and years.

He says, “OCS needs to stand for quality, and I want to help OCS become synonymous with being the best.”

Reflection on the first year as New OCS by Rob Legge, Group CEO

Posted on by ameliaroberts

As 2023 draws to a close, I’ve reflected on what has been a gratifying year. Having started the year as CEO of Atalian Servest, I was honoured and excited to take up the role of Group Chief Executive of the newly formed OCS following its merger with Atalian Servest’s operations in the UK, Ireland, and Asia in March 2023.

As two stonewalls of the industry, I knew the underlying strength of both the Atalian Servest and OCS and believed in the great potential that combining them would create. The merger presented us with the opportunity to take the best bits from both businesses to develop a genuine disruptor in the international facilities management landscape.

That said, I was also cognisant of the challenging macro picture. Rising interest rates and persistent inflation have created difficulties for our customers and colleagues. I knew from the outset that we would need to adapt holistically to successfully position ourselves as the partner and employer of choice in the market.

Resilience: A Pillar of Strength in Challenging Times

The merger was more than a business transaction; it was an opportunity to redefine our purpose and values, ensuring we build our most compelling offering for our customers. In my experience in this industry, I’ve seen that having resilience is crucial to success. With 2023 being as challenging as it has been for business generally, this quality has never been more critical.

At OCS, we’re on a mission to become the best facilities service provider in the world. I’ve been encouraged to see how colleagues across the business have responded to this challenge, often in testing conditions, to ensure we meet the high standards we promise to deliver. Indeed, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a testament to the resilience and drive of our colleagues. I thank every one of them for their valued contribution and commitment.

TRUE Values: Guiding Our Journey with Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment

Similarly, I have been proud to see our TRUE values—Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment—guiding us through this transformative period. I’ve seen evidence of these values in practice helping to shape our business for the better as we grow at pace over the coming years.

Trust: It’s all in the Process

In my experience, trust is the bedrock upon which successful mergers are built. Trust in our collective vision, trust in our strategy, and trust in the capabilities of our teams have been instrumental to our success this year.

Indeed, the success of our merger can be seen in the flagship customer wins we’ve achieved throughout the year (Royal Parks, Government Property Agency, and Irish Rail, to name a few). Winning a business’s trust is never something we take for granted, and we work to be the best partner we can be.

Respect: A Foundation for Collaboration and Sustainability

Respect for our colleagues and a broader sustainability approach have been at the forefront of our endeavours. Respectful collaboration has enabled us to unite as one business with a shared vision and mission. While this principle covers many aspects of our business, one particularly evident area is our 2040 net-zero commitment, a testament to our dedication to setting the standard for excellence in compliance and responsible stewardship.

Unity: One Business, One Vision

Since the very early stages of the merger, I have been impressed with how the new OCS has presented itself as a singular, cohesive business entity. The merger was a consolidation of operations and a unification of purpose and vision.

Over this year, I’ve had the opportunity to visit several of our teams on the front line across the globe. Every time I make one of these trips, I’m inspired time and time again to see how colleagues pull together to provide the market-leading service our business is known for.

Empowerment: Investing in Our Teams

Empowerment, a commitment to investing in our teams, is a cornerstone of our strategy. Our success is intrinsically tied to the growth and development of our people. By empowering our colleagues and encouraging them to take ownership, make decisions, and shape the future of our business, we nurture future leaders within our organisation.

The merger has allowed us to combine the best initiatives from both organisations into one holistic approach. We proudly offer schemes that offer access to employment for people who may not get the opportunity, ensuring we select from as broad a talent pool as possible and offer apprenticeships and progression schemes across the business to support development.

Serving Communities: A Responsibility We Cherish

Integral to our identity is our role as responsible and sustainable members of the communities we serve. Our goal is to manage spaces efficiently and create a positive impact on the people and places we touch. This mindset permeates every aspect of our business and drives the support we offer locally in those countries where we operate.

As we move forward, OCS’ BEST strategy and TRUE values remain the driving force behind our mission to make people and places the best they can be. We are a unified global team with one identity and vision. We are poised for growth, and I want OCS to become the market leader in the facilities management industry. Reflecting on the first ten months of this transformative journey, I have nothing but confidence in our ability to achieve our goal.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Appoints OCS as Part of a £10 Million Investment Programme

Posted on by peterstatham

As part of its commitment to delivering a safe, secure, and reliable electricity supply, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has awarded OCS a 5-year contract to support the upkeep of all its steel towers across its central southern England distribution area. This initiative forms part of SSEN’s £10 million investment to ensure that its 33kV and 132kV steel towers are in the best possible condition for its 3.1m customers.

A team of OCS specialist colleagues will be responsible for applying new coats of specialist anti-corrosion paint to the towers, which provides protection from the elements and prolongs the working lifespan of this essential infrastructure. All colleagues delivering these works are trained in tower climbing, rescue and Emergency First Aid and, importantly safety from the high voltage electricity system.

This work involves working at height in varying weather conditions, so wind direction and wind speed are monitored and used to manage overspray risks during the works. As well as remote and rural areas the towers can often be in challenging locations.

Technology will play a key role in streamlining on-site works with a bespoke OCS app providing real-time management information, giving teams on the ground live information on sites completed and notifications when each stage of works is ready for quality checks before being marked as fully completed. Real-time progress reports are used by the management team and are also available to the client.

“This is a key project for us over the next six months. The 33kV and 132kV steel towers are the backbone of our network, so it’s crucial that we do all we can to ensure that they’re in the best possible condition, continuing to power homes and businesses across central southern England all year round.”

Martin Bailey

SSEN’s Project Manager

“The decision by SSEN to select us as a framework partner to support them in maintaining their steel towers network, is testament to the proven skills and expertise of our teams and our market leading position. This is vital work that will ensure these communities can continue to be assured of a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity and we are proud to be part of it.”

Barry Creswick

Director of Tower Painting at OCS

“This £10m programme of works a key part of our commitment to delivering a safe, secure, and reliable power supply for our customers. With electricity playing such an important role in all our daily lives, be that at home, at school or at work, it’s vital that we do all we can to ensure the overhead Line infrastructure is in the best condition possible.”

Chris Slingsby

SSEN’s Head of Works Delivery

OCS proudly welcomes Thai Ambassador to its London office

Posted on by ameliaroberts

On 14th December 2023, we had the pleasure of hosting the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) roundtable that involved Thai Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, visiting our London office.

Our colleagues had the opportunity to listen to Thani Thongphakdi share his thoughts on a number of topics, including upcoming Government events, our cultural economy and the pivotal role that ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) plays in our society.

“I was particularly impressed with the discussion highlighting the significance of social mobility for PCS Thailand and OCS Group, emphasising the need for fostering vocational skills development alongside academic achievement. These conversations resonated deeply with our commitments and values at OCS.”

Gavin Wainer

OCS Group Commercial Officer

What is UKABC?

UKABC is a leading organisation on all matters involving ASEAN. They provide awareness on the latest opportunities in the region and assist UK companies looking to expand their operations into markets across Southeast Asia.

OCS announces the acquisition of Profile Security Services to bolster its security services in the UK

Posted on by peterstatham

OCS (“the Group”), a leading global facilities service provider, announces that it has acquired Profile Security Services (“the Company”), one of the UK’s largest independent security specialists. This strategic acquisition bolsters OCS’ existing security services offering to the public sector in the UK and adds expertise and strength in new industries including ports, utilities, and manufacturing. Furthermore, Profile Security Services’s leadership in innovation is aligned with OCS’ increasing focus on technology in security.

 

Founded in 1980, Profile Security Services has grown from a manned guarding business into a bespoke, technology-enabled security solutions provider operating across the UK. Today, the Company combines traditional physical resources with innovative technologies to deliver high standards of security and protect people, premises, and assets, for customers across the maritime, utilities, local authorities, and manufacturing industries. For Profile Security Services, this deal provides an exciting opportunity for further growth and development as part of OCS.

The two businesses have cultures and values which are fundamentally aligned, focusing on operational excellence to ensure the provision of the best possible service to their customers. For OCS, the addition of Profile Security Services represents another step towards realising its mission of becoming the world’s best facilities service provider.

“Profile Security Services has built a strong reputation in the market for its professionalism and the quality of service it provides to its customers across the UK. The Company’s leadership in innovation will support our existing focus on technological excellence, ultimately driving the best solutions for our customers who will also benefit from our broadened capabilities. Indeed, Profile Security Services’s impressive customer base plays into OCS’ existing strengths and offers new growth areas for the Group to pursue.

“We’re really pleased to be announcing this new investment – our second acquisition in the UK this year. I look forward to welcoming the Profile Security Services team to OCS.”

Daniel Dickson

UK & Ireland CEO of OCS

“Profile Security Services has operated independently as one of the UK’s foremost security specialists for over 40 years and we are proud to have built a strong reputation based on the high-quality service we deliver to our customers. This new chapter as part of OCS marks an exciting next step for our business. We have chosen this partnership with OCS because we believe that our cultures and objectives are fundamentally aligned, putting frontline colleagues who are central to our success at the heart of our strategies. I have no doubt that together we can offer our customers a truly market leading service.”

Martin McGowan-Scanlon

Managing Director of Profile Security Services

This acquisition is OCS’ second investment in the UK market since it merged with Atalian Servest’s UK, Ireland, and Asia operations earlier in 2023, following the acquisition of Accuro, the education and healthcare focussed facilities services provider, in October. Throughout 2023, OCS has also delivered impressive organic growth in the UK and Irish markets, investing in its people as well as technology, and winning several significant new customers including new contracts with the Government Property Agency, Irish Rail, and Royal Parks. The business remains dedicated to delivering on its ambitious growth objectives both through further M&A and organic growth.

OCS achieved a score of excellence in the SIA audit.

Posted on by ameliaroberts
OCS has recently undergone its annual Security Industry Authority (SIA) audit and achieved the maximum score in six out of the seven criteria and were awarded a score of 142 out of 145.

This is the 18th year that our business has committed to the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), a point worthy of note by the auditor from the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). The brand, reputation and continued delivery of the OCS gold standard was also noted.

“The continued investment in people through training, the use of a software programme to streamline HR, payroll and talent management processes and the continued promotion of mental health training all show clear progress.”

Officers at one of the largest contracts had a full understanding of the requirements of the customer and the expectation on them to achieve this. There was good understanding of the company values and copies of relevant documentation were available at the point of delivery.

A number of officers made the following comments: “The team work is amazing”, “We have good support from the supervisors and regular visits from management”, “ OCS look after their staff and we feel very well looked after”, “HALO has improved our communication with the customer”.

A new member of staff expressed that “I am in my element here with OCS”.

“The result owes much to the security teams, back of house support and the officers on site who all display the commitment to our security gold standard.  Thank you to our security teams across our portfolio and a huge well done to all those who participated in the audit. These teams are responsible for keeping our sites, our customers and the general public safe on a regular basis. Their commitment has ensured the company has achieved a very creditable score.”

Steve Gardner

Director of Security Risk and Intelligence