100 Years and Counting: Stories from BOC Teesside Employees Over the Decades

Posted by BOC

We’re proud to mark 100 years of operating in Teesside, a journey that began with Night Watchman George Kynman, who clocked on for his first shift on the 3rd February 1923. It wasn’t long before BOC Teesside fulfilled its first oxygen in three thermos flasks. Since those relatively humble beginnings, we’ve gone onto build four plants across two sites on Teesside, including the UK’s largest independently owned hydrogen production site. Our employees, local industry and community have been a critical part of BOC’s transformation in Teesside over the years.

From nurturing the next generation of talented engineers, to delivering critical infrastructure to drive the region’s clean energy transition, we’re incredibly excited about what the future holds, and grateful to all those who’ve played a part in our past. To celebrate our centenary, we’ve asked some of our Teesside employees to share their experiences and impressions of life at BOC over the years.

Baihaqi Bin Abdullah, Former Undergraduate on university placement

“I would say my most important memory is getting my very first EMOC signed. A great feeling after chasing various people for signatures and loads of meetings to get the project approved. Although, sometimes a project that looks quite simple can become very complex, and I learned that the hard way.

One funny story I have was that I went to BOC Gas and Gear on my first day at work, which is not the same as BOC Middlesbrough (where I was supposed to be).”

Wayne Bridger, On-Site Business Manager

"BOC’s presence on Teesside for 100 years is a huge achievement. I look forward to the exciting opportunity we have to continue to build on the fantastic customer relationship legacy we have built in the region, bringing further value to the Teesside industrial cluster as we continue to build towards a successful low carbon future."

Ali Siam, Plant Manager Middlesborough and Teesside

"I’m proud of BOC’s vast heritage and equally excited about our role in the future of decarbonisation for the region and more widely. We have the opportunity to play major role to play in the drive towards Net Zero and helping industry meet its targets."

Macaulay Bell, Apprentice Electrical Technician

“I remember my first day at BOC clearly. I was 17 and new to the engineering world, I saw it as an opportunity more than anything to prove to myself that I could achieve anything. I was nervous, excited and looking forward to challenging myself, and so far it has been everything and more. Every day is different working for BOC, and I like the variation of work, people you meet and the challenge to complete a job as best as you can, even though you may be under pressure at times. There is a growing demand for hydrogen across the globe now and I have recently seen the impact that it could bring to Teesside. It could help grow BOC as a company and provide many more jobs for local people.”

Kaine Holmes, Electrical Technician and former Apprentice

“I was nervous starting my first ever job here, not knowing anything about electrical engineering, but with the support of everyone on site and through the apprenticeship programme I successfully qualified. It seemed daunting at first working on such a large plant with lots of hazards, but safety always comes first and everyone looks out for each other. I joined at the resurgence of apprenticeship schemes in BOC and it has been great to see so many start a career after leaving school and become excellent technicians in their fields.”

BOC’s Teesside Hydrogen production plant

Whether helping industry to stay online during the dark days of WW2, or building one of Europe’s largest industrial gas facilities in Teesside to meet growing demand, over the past century we have responded to opportunities and challenges to ensure BOC serves the needs of industry and the surrounding community in Teesside.

Today, we all face a new challenge, how to decarbonise industry and economic activity, without sacrificing jobs and prosperity. We firmly believe our employees, expertise and infrastructure can play a key role in ensuring Teesside is a shining light in the energy transition. Pending government approval, BOC plans to add carbon capture technology to our North Tees plant, converting it from grey hydrogen to low carbon blue hydrogen production. As part of the East Coast Cluster, this will help deliver clean growth for Teesside.

A lot has changed since 1923, but we remain as committed to this region as we’ve ever been.

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