A Caerphilly-based firm has won a slice of a £1.6 million worth of work from D?r Cymru Welsh Water.
OSS Electrical, alongside Oasis Software Solutions of Monmouth, have secured water treatment contracts in Anglesey, North Wales and at Llwyn Onn, near Merthyr Tydfil.
It follows winning £560,000 worth of contracts from Imtech Process to carry out similar work in the south-west of England and Midlands.
Phil Anderson, managing director of Oasis, who also has a 25 per cent holding in OSS Electrical, said: “Oasis is in a niche market involving design of software for use in water treatment and sewerage works. It has a small and highly skilled workforce. I bought the company four years ago and after additional investment has started to prosper. I encourage employee ownership and I’m slowly selling the company back to the workforce.
“OSS Electrical is now working closely with Oasis installing cabling and panelling to house the software systems.
“By doing so the firms are offering a complete package to clients and that undoubtedly led them to win work in North Wales, as well at the Llwyn Onn works near Merthyr Tydfil.”
Darren Edwards, Engineering Manager of OSS Electrical, which is based on the Western Industrial Estate in Caerphilly said: “Things were tough initially, as a start up company we could not get any credit and had to pay upfront for the cabling and then had to wait for payment. Luckily the shareholders were able to bridge the funding gap.
“The key to the success has also been the quality of the workforce which is vital in any business and the close working relationship with Oasis. We have a good track record now and we are looking for bigger premises for OSS Electrical in the Caerphilly area.”
The latest contract wins follows on the success of OSS Electrical in winning a contract with Galliford Try to design and manufacture 27 sample boards at Anglian Water’s Hall Water Treatment Works in Lincolnshire.
Phil Anderson invested in the companies after selling his Industrial Process and Automation Solutions business Kathcal – named after his two daughters, Katherine and Caroline – to key employees in 2008 after setting up the business 25 years earlier.
Lindsay Hogg, Managing Partner at Cardiff Gate-based accountants Watts Gregory LLP, corporate adviser to the businesses, said: “Having helped Phil with the sale of Kathcal, he has continued to show his entrepreneur spirit by investing in new companies.
“There are financial rewards to be gained in investing in SME’s but you have to recognise and manage the risk.”