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OCI Commits £35 Million in Support of Tiger Technology, Accelerating Adoption of New Railway Infrastructure Maintenance Innovation
Aviation company to benefit from supply chain expertise, increase access to aerial saw solution
LONDON (November 23, 2023) — OCI, supply trade specialists and the UK’s No.1 fastest-growing company in 20221, announces the provision of a £35 million support package to Herefordshire-based Tiger Technology (“Tiger”). Tiger, led by internationally esteemed aviation specialist Capt Alan Ramsden, has introduced an environmentally friendly arboriculture management solution to better maintain railway trees and foliage, combining aerial saws with in-house aviation expertise. OCI’s commitment to Tiger includes a high-impact mix of management consulting, commercial capacity building, supply chain management and credit facility.
There are approximately three billion trees in the UK with thousands interweaving along the nation’s railways, highways and power lines. These trees pose unique challenges to those responsible for foliage and infrastructure management, including high maintenance costs and limited physical accessibility. These challenges negatively impact the efficiency of Britain’s railways, impeding domestic travel, productivity and the broader economy. Conventional arboriculture also imposes a considerable environmental cost with high volumes of maintenance vehicles, chainsaw teams and petrol consumption along expansive stretches of rail.
“There are around 20,000 miles of railway in the UK with around eight per cent threatened by overgrown foliage,” notes Ramsden. “Managing this foliage is enormously challenging, but our solution can carry out tasks in five days which would normally take 90 days.”
Tiger’s aerial saw—executed by trained teams and deployed via helicopter—radically transforms the process of railway arboriculture, completing tasks approximately 18 times faster than other methods. The aerial saw not only saves time thanks to the superior efficiency it brings, but also saves CO2 emissions and reduces the likelihood of service crew injury. Local traffic and disruption are also reduced thanks to optimised project timelines and decreased vehicle usage.
“We are excited to support the ingenuity of Tiger Technology,” says OCI CEO Oliver Chapman. “I believe the company will have a significant impact on the management of our nation’s infrastructure. Expect to see improved health and safety outcomes for our arboriculture service workers and reduced maintenance costs for our rail service providers.”
The Need
Railway arboriculture is a complex responsibility involving large teams of people, working for extended periods of time, and often in remote locations. Trains are frequently forced to run slowly due, in part, to foliage encroaching on rail lines along these areas. Canopy creates shade which leads to damp conditions; because of moisture, disruptive and potentially dangerous algae growth can often be found on rail lines themselves.
The Solution
Tiger combines aerial saws with helicopter aviation to dramatically reduce the human risk and operational cost of foliage management. Tiger’s sister companies, Tiger Aviation and Tiger Helicopters, specialise in the training of safety-focused helicopter operators and engineers, educating pilots on behalf of international governments. It is this combination of expertise that made the Tiger end-product possible, developed after extensive research into the challenges posed by Britain’s infrastructure foliage. Tiger recently demonstrated the solution’s efficacy to National Railway and Department of Transport officials, in Worcestershire, with support from RSS Infrastructure and Severn Valley Railway.
The Environmental Impact
The Tiger solution is expected to provide a positive environmental impact for the UK by:
- Reducing carbon footprints by completing tasks faster;
- Preserving natural habitats by minimising disturbance to ecosystems during maintenance programmes;
- Enabling trees and vegetation to grow in a managed environment thanks to precise cutting, reducing unnecessary tree damage; and
- Supporting current, sustainable vegetation management practises.
Innovative companies are often impeded in their development—despite trading and servicing financially strong organisations—through lack of access to capital. Funding for these high potential companies is often contingent on their existing assets, rather than a detailed consideration of the supply chain those companies operate within. OCI counteracts this barrier to growth by supporting enterprises via supply chain expertise, trade financing and working capital.
Tiger, operating within a supply chain including large blue-chip organisations, exemplifies the classic example of a small and medium-sized enterprise partner for OCI. Support from OCI is likely to be applied toward the acquisition of aerial saws, additional aircraft and the expansion of Tiger’s market footprint.
“It is my personal ambition to give as much back to the world as I can,” states Chapman. “I aim to support charitable initiatives close to home and, through OCI's philanthropic efforts, champion ventures that offer a sustainable benefit to global economies."
“The goal of relieving supply chain constraints aligns with any corporate social responsibility strategy, no matter how big or small the enterprise,” adds Chapman. “I am delighted to work with Tiger Technology and eliminate the roadblocks to their success.”
Chapman aims to continue supporting high potential businesses of this nature as part of the OCI CSR strategy and his personal philanthropic goals.
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