Mr Michael Oliver, OBE, DL, one of Cheshire’s ambassadors for British industry, invites us into his home to talk about business, pleasure and the art of success

I last spoke to Mr Oliver nearly six years ago when I toured the Oliver factories and he spent much time and patience explaining his products and the basic engineering principles. Since then he has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE), is a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Cheshire, has been awarded the first Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Chester University, was awarded the Freedom of the City of London ‘enclothed’ with the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and continues to be in command of a business which grows and grows, adding award after award to its accolades.

Today, we are sitting in the kitchen of the beautiful home in Hale he built with his wife of 16 years, Jennifer. Mr Oliver’s work is spread across the kitchen table, a spot he favours to his offices; a spot at the centre of his home. Both are welcoming and warm on a day full of April showers, immediately ensuring a soothing cup of tea is in hand before the interview begins. We discuss the missing aeroplane, the latest Budget and a love of wild animals, unsure of whether elephants or giraffes are our favourite. I feel like I am visiting old family friends and could sit here all day, however I have a job to do and these people have busy lives to lead.

Mr Oliver’s story begins over 34 years ago when, after working for others as a design engineer for many years, he realised that the best way ‘to do it right’ was to do it himself. In 1979, Oliver Valves was born, based in a one-car garage in Hale and with a single product he designed himself.

Today the Oliver name takes pride of place at the helm of three companies, still family-run, supplying oil and gas industries around the world with sales approaching £100million and with a combined profit in excess of £25million. Indeed, Oliver Valves has just announced the healthiest order book in the company’s history.

The obvious question is on my lips: What is the secret to your success? “It’s very simple really, you go back to basics. Where are your customers? The answer is worldwide. So you put your people in your own offices in the same places, same time zones as our customers.

Mr Oliver remains very matter of fact as he explains: “Our first office was in Aberdeen and remains a key presence for us today as the hub for oil and gas in the UK. Add to that offices in Kuala Lumpur for the Far East covering China, Houston for the oil capital of North America, Rio de Janeiro for Brazil which is the biggest growing market for us at the moment, India where we also manufacture some products, and Dubai, and you’ve pretty much got it covered.

“Provide customers with quality products and innovative solutions which address the problems they face in their areas and you’ve got the practical business elements organised.

“Add the right people to the right places with the right can-do attitude and away you go”, concludes Mr Oliver and it is evident from the way that he speaks it is not the sales patter any company wheels out in a bid to lure you in, he is passionate about getting the right people for the job. 

Mr Oliver’s experience in the early days of his career working for others, both the positives and the negatives, is evident in the company’s ethos today. “It’s about getting the right people and developing them, giving them true accountability, making their responsibility a business in its own right,” he explains. “It’s about asking ‘why not?’ and motivating people beyond their elastic limit. And if they leave for ‘better things’ so be it, people leave with my best wishes. Our team is constantly head hunted which means we’re doing something right – sometimes they even come back to us – ‘better’ doesn’t always live up to its sales pitch!

“As a company we set targets, we measure performance weekly and we move forward. Our crucial unit of measurement is gross margin. It’s simple: if we keep gross margin high, we can grow the business debt free.” It certainly seems to working. Last year Oliver Valves invested £750,000 in a distribution centre, a further £700,000 into a dedicated research and development hub as well as purchasing a 17-acre field in Knutsford for the company to expand.

Mr Oliver may have the deserved trappings of success but he is also very keen to give back to charities. He supports the local children’s charities, Variety and Wood Street Mission, as well as those of returning service men and women. He has just donated funding to support the maintenance of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London which commemorates the 55,573 Bomber Commands who lost their lives in the Second World War.

Being Chairman of the Oliver companies is not a job for Mr Oliver, it’s more like a hobby he loves to constantly develop. There is no retirement plan in sight, “I’m a very bad golfer,” he confesses.

Speaking of hobbies and passions it would be remiss of me not to mention his renowned car and engine collection, fit for any national museum. The latest addition to which is a Tornado attack aircraft which saw service in the first Gulf War, part of the 617 Squadron, better known as The Dambusters. Not to mention his new Rolls Royce that is parked in the driveway, guarded by two larger than life stone guard dogs. “Be careful they haven’t been fed yet,” Mr Oliver jokes as I admire both the engineering and the statues.

On that note I leave the warmth of the Oliver home, happy to have spent an enjoyable hour or two in the company of some genuinely charming people and hoping to provide an insight into this Captain of Industry, his world and his success.

If you would like to find out more about Mr Michael Oliver, his family and how to make money he is currently working on a book the working title of which is ‘It Can Be Done’. Keep an eye out in good bookshops towards the end of the year.

Interview for RunwildMedia Group. Photography by Tim Bradley.