The oil and gas industry meets healthcare biotechnology in a north-east business celebrating its 40th birthday today.
OTL Group, based in Gourdon, between Stonehaven and Montrose, spans several very different sectors.
It makes firefighting foams for offshore use, as well as cleaning products for everything from food manufacturing to offshore and healthcare use.
The extraordinarily diversified firm also manufactures antibacterial curtains for infection control in hospitals.
Around 85% of these are exported to a fast-growing list of countries around the world.
Who founded the business?
The group’s owner and managing director is David Evans, who launched OTL in September 1984.
One of its subsidiaries, Oil Technics, has been providing customers worldwide with innovative specialist cleaning, spill control and fire protection products from the start.
Mr Evans’ daughter, Hannah, runs another of the group’s companies, Bio Technics.
It makes the curtains and other infection control products for healthcare clients, including the NHS.
Ms Evans and her team were run off their feet with orders soon after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
OTL now has four divisions in all, with nearly 30 employees making more than 200 products.
OTL Group’s four core values
Mr Evans, 76, said: “Right from the start, we have always been about four things – great products, being as environmentally sustainable as possible, great people and great customer service.
“In the early days, we worked from small facilities in Torry (Aberdeen), before expanding into our purpose-built facilities at Gourdon. We now have our offices, warehouses, workshops, lab and testing facilities, and we’re actively exploring how we can expand the site to facilitate further growth.”
He added: “We started out with our Sobo range of rig wash and industrial oil degreasers.
“We then expanded into firefighting foams, which are used to suppress fires offshore and in high-risk sites like chemical plants, as well as in the marine and aviation sectors.
“We’re known for developing highly effective, specialist products. ’
Mr Evans is a strong advocate for making sure employees have a “great” work-life balance.
The group operates a flexi-day system, where staff get a free day off each month in addition to their holiday allowance.
“We’re always learning and evolving as individuals and as a business,” OTL’s MD said.
He continued: “We have so many opportunities and so much potential for growth.
Firm ‘constantly renewing and refreshing’
“So, even though this is our 40th year in business we have the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm you would associate with a start-up.
“Many of our staff have been with us for 10 to 20 years, which gives us a powerful advantage.
“And our newer recruits bring new thinking and experience into the business, so we’re constantly renewing and refreshing our approach.”
OTL’s founder is enthusiastic about new opportunities and has no plans to take his foot off the pedal.
He explained: “Everyone retires at some point, I suppose. But I have a lot of product ideas I would still like to develop with the team and new technologies to bring to market. I don’t see myself on the golf course or in the potting shed quite yet.”
Daughter doubts if OTL’s boss will ever fully retire
Ms Evans said: “I don’t think David will ever fully retire. We all hope he will continue to contribute innovative ideas and help us reach even greater growth and achievements for a long time to come.”
Bio Technics exports about two thirds of its products around the world.
As well as its patented Endurocide Antimicrobial Plus disposable hospital curtains, it makes a range of alcohol-free hand sanitisers, wipes, and surface cleaners in Gourdon.
Ms Evans said: “The Endurocide range is all about breaking the chain of infection and providing hospitals with proven infection control measures.
“Figures for NHS England and Wales alone suggest over 300,000 people acquire an infection in hospital each year and up to 5,000 avoidable deaths may result from this.
“Our curtains… trap and kill bacteria, spores, fungi, mycobacteria, and enveloped viruses like Covid-19 on the surface to help prevent the germs being re-transmitted.”
Conversation