News

Our Managing Director, Jim Bell, talks about our Long Service Awards where we recognise colleagues who have been with the company for a significant part of their careers. Jim himself has been at FoundOcean for almost 20 years.

 

FoundOcean Long Service Awards have resumed

In June of this year we were delighted to hold our Long Service Awards and celebrate the contributions of several colleagues who have been part of the team for a number of years. We have been able to resume hosting these events in person, after some years of disruption, enabling us to ‘catch up’ after the pandemic.

The presentation ceremony itself is a really nice occasion. In our everyday working lives, we tend to be engrossed in our projects or get caught up in urgent and important matters, so taking an hour out to reflect upon the achievements of the team over their time with us was really enjoyable. The Long Service Awards offer a great opportunity to pause and consider what we do.

Grant Scott, Workshop Supervisor, has been with the company for 20 years. He says that he really enjoyed the presentation ceremony. “I felt very proud to be part of the FoundOcean growth over the years and to be given the certificate by Jim was a very proud moment in my time here. My certificate sits proudly on a filing cabinet in the office.”

Some longstanding members of the team have been here since ‘way back when’, even before we were called FoundOcean. Our Operations Manager, Mark Boyd, is our longest-serving colleague and recently celebrated 30 years with the company. Reflecting on his time here, he says, “I’d like to thank FoundOcean for giving me the chance to see the world over the years. I’d never have seen some of the places that I’ve seen if it wasn’t for the opportunity FoundOcean has given me.”

 

What is the award?

As well as the ceremony and a certificate, the Long Service Awards do come with a bonus, which kicks in from 5 years and increases with every 5-year milestone. The person receiving this monetary award can choose to have it in their pay or put it into their pension.

Derek Lauder, Offshore Grouting Supervisor, recently reached his 25-year milestone and is putting the monetary award towards a trip to the US and Mexico – we hope he has a fantastic holiday – and Workshop Manager Brian Sherry (22 years, part of the post-Covid catch-up) has treated himself to a new projector for his cinema room.

 

Why people stay with us

The fact that our people often stay with us for a large part of their careers probably reflects our supportive working culture. Some members of the team have gone away to work elsewhere, and later returned to the team. Martin Hardy, our Technical Director, started with Wimpey Laboratories (our original incarnation) in the early 80s, worked at FoundOcean for most of his life, and came back to us 4 years ago. I’m an example of this myself: after my introduction to FoundOcean – a first job, working at Wimpey Laboratories as a Project Engineer for a year – I spent several years elsewhere, and then came back to continue my career here. Who would come back to a workplace they didn’t like?

Working here is interesting and always has been, especially because the offshore energy sector is ever-changing. Brian Sherry puts it like this: The reason that I have stayed at FoundOcean so long is that I really enjoy the work, constantly being challenged with new projects and things to do, the level of autonomy/trust that you are given is also a big plus.”

With the current energy transition, the boom in the offshore wind sector and joining the Venterra Group, now is a particularly exciting time to work in the industry. As the world’s leading offshore grouting company, we are taking strides in supporting the global energy industry and increasingly supporting renewables. Each project comes with new learning and problem-solving opportunities, and everyone can feel proud of what we do.

Derek Lauder says, “Some people might think that 25 years doing the same thing would get boring but it’s not actually like that. I have always enjoyed travelling to countries I haven’t visited before and, as a supervisor, almost every offshore project is different, with different challenges to overcome each time.”

 

The FoundOcean team

The most important part of what makes people stay is their colleagues, and a supportive work environment. We treat mistakes as a learning opportunity and hate

the idea of a blame culture – people who learn from mistakes make for more experienced and knowledgeable colleagues. FoundOcean is made up of a great team people who provide each other with guidance and encouragement and help each other work through challenges.

Grant Scott says, “One of the main reasons I’ve stayed so long at FoundOcean is the people I’ve worked with over my time here. I’ve met some remarkable, talented, and good human beings.” This sentiment is echoed by Mark Boyd: “The quality of personnel we have managed to keep over the years is unbelievable. FoundOcean are the world leaders in offshore grouting, it’s a pleasure to be part of the team, especially when hard and long projects are executed without delay.”

FoundOcean’s success is absolutely about the people who work here. With long service comes a wealth of skill, expertise and experience and the Long Service Awards are a perfect way to recognise that.

 

For more information on FoundOcean’s experience and capabilities, contact the team on +44 1506 440330 or email info@foundocean.com