OAL is an innovative family business, founded in 1993 by Harry Norman, when he was just 28 years old, after “stumbling” into a robotics competition at Coventry University, where he fell in love with the technology and saw its potential to renew and seduce the food industry using automation and robotics, and improve the way our food is produced. Initially, the business provided software to machine builders and directly to food manufacturers. A newly married father of two very young children, he made the bold and risky decision to set up a business on his own, as the main breadwinner for the family. But it was a risk that soon paid off, as the company was profitable from the first year. It is this drive to succeed that has characterized the company’s entire history. In the early years, driven by customer demand for automation, OAL soon began offering turnkey process solutions, becoming a one-stop shop for systems comprising design, automation and technical support. Working with some of the biggest names in the food industry, the OAL team has completed hundreds of projects, delivering high quality results and exceptional support. This formative experience has helped them understand the food industry inside out, and has proven to be an excellent foundation for business growth. Driven by OAL’ s success in the early years, and against the backdrop of an industry choked by rising labor costs and ingredient prices, as well as increased pressure from retailers, OAL was convinced that food manufacturing needed to change. OAL envisioned that it could lead the change and therefore made the strategic decision to establish a dedicated innovation team, investing heavily in new technologies to enter the industry. The first result of this was the development of Steam Infusion in 2013. This heating, mixing and homogenization technology uses steam as the driving force and provides a host of benefits compared to traditional in-tank steam jacket technology. With a global network of integrators, food manufacturers around the world are increasing cooking capacity and developing new food products with OAL’s patented steam infusion cooking process. With OAL’ s digital developments at both ends of the production line, they are moving closer to a lights-out food factory, improving safety, profitability and environmental benefits across the board. And with the falling cost of robotics and automation, OAL is poised to change the food industry for the better.