OCI supports Tiger with tree maintenance on railway routes

OCI, supply trade specialists and the UK’s No.1 fastest-growing company in 2022, 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 8% 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."

OCI is a commercial process outsource firm, supply chain accelerator and procurement partner to both governments and large corporates. Its areas of supply chain expertise include sourcing, logistics, commercial/contract negotiation, import/export documentation and inventory management.