The OCS story starts in 1900. Since then, we have grown from one man with a ladder, pail and pushcart, to an international business with more than 68,000 colleagues.
Built on family foundations
Frederick William Goodliffe set up The New Century Window and General Cleaning Company as a sole trader. In 1912, his eldest son, Gilbert, joined the business as a junior clerk aged 14. He was followed by his second son, Tom, in 1920 and his third son, George, in 1928. Frederick's sons were pivotal in the formation of a new company, Office Cleaning Services, in 1930. And when Frederick handed the business to them, their shared leadership pushed us into a new era of expansion and diversification.
Five generations of business growth
After their father's death in 1947, the Goodliffe boys expanded the business with support from the wider family. They moved into bigger premises and set up a branch network across the UK. Acquisitions followed, and the business diversified into new industries in the 1950s and 1960s. As third and fourth generations of Goodliffes joined the leadership team, the business expanded into international markets. This family connection continues unbroken to this day, with fifth-generation relatives now working for the company.
A 21st century business
The last decade saw us transition from being a family-run to a family-owned business as we appointed our first non-family CEO, and most recently OCS Group International Limited was acquired by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (“CD&R”), a leading global investment firm. A lot has changed since 1900, but our purpose remains the same: to provide expert tailored support that adds value to our customer's business, delivered with care, time after time. Today, more than ever, this means finding sustainable solutions that care for our colleagues, our communities and the environment.
OCS Australia
OCS has been operating in Australia since 1998. Today, we have over 350 sites across the country.
With branches in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Kalgoorlie and Albany, we provide commercial cleaning, hygiene services, waste management and asset maintenance across multiple industries. Click below to find out more about our Australia business.