OMS celebrates first 20 years

2 July 2024

Stansted-based engineering business OMS (Optical Metrology Services) turned 20 years old on 2 July. Founded by Stortford-based entrepreneur and academic, Dr Tim Clarke, OMS began in a single room in the town in 2004, before moving to premises on the Twyford industrial estate and then to its current location at the M11 Business Link in Stansted in 2014.

OMS is a leading supplier of laser measurement, inspection and remediation systems, mainly to the energy industry. With a strong focus on innovation, OMS has developed ground-breaking technology and services that are used in major global energy projects to improve asset lifetime, safety and efficiency. In 2020 the company won its third Queen’s Award for Innovation, for a state-of-the-art weld inspection system that uses robotic crawlers equipped with laser sensors and ultra-HD cameras to locate internal welds in pipelines and assess their condition, allowing clients to identify and solve any defects before installation.

Founder and chairman, Dr Tim Clarke, said, ‘I started OMS as a spin-off from my academic work at City University in the early 2000s. From very humble beginnings in what was essentially an attic, we’ve grown to become a thriving business operating across the world, with 95% of our business coming from exporting our technology and services globally.

Like many other young businesses, we have had to weather some serious storms along the way. The financial downturn in 2008, the oil price crash of 2014, Brexit and Covid-19 have all posed challenges to the company, but we’ve made it successfully through them all, thanks to our outstanding team. Along the way, we’ve won three prestigious Queen’s (now King’s) Awards for Innovation in 2007, 2014 and 2020.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, OMS is in a strong position, having just had our most successful financial year. Our wonderful team of 32 people is growing as we expand the business, taking on more projects than ever and diversifying into new areas.

We’re delighted to be part of the community around Stansted and Bishop’s Stortford, which is an excellent location for any business, and hope to be here for many more years.’

OMS celebrated its 20th anniversary at its offices on 2 July 2024 with tea, cakes, action challenges and family visitors.