Mechanical engineering company OHLMEC is building a strong reputation across the Goldfields, driven by a focus on local employment, reliable service and strong relationships with mining clients.
Founded in February 2022 by director Jesse Ohl, the business has grown rapidly from a start-up into a trusted maintenance provider supporting major mining operations across the region.
Operating primarily from Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the company specialises in fixed plant maintenance, focusing on rotating plant equipment, structural fabrication and off-site component repairs for the mining, quarrying and processing sectors.
Despite launching just four years ago, about 90 per cent of the company’s work now takes place across the Goldfields.
“We’re a fixed plant maintenance business specialising in rotating equipment, structural fabrication and off-site component repairs,” Mr Ohl said.
“Most of our work comes from the Goldfields within about a 500-kilometre radius – from past Leinster down to Southern Cross and across the South Australian border.
The company’s name reflects its capabilities, with OHL representing the founder’s surname and MEC standing for mechanical engineering and consulting.
Building a local provider
From the outset, Mr Ohl said the goal was to create a genuine local service provider rather than a Perth-based company servicing the region remotely.
“One of the first things we did was establish an operations facility in Kalgoorlie,” he said. “We didn’t want to be a blow-in company – we wanted to be a local provider.”
Establishing a permanent presence allowed the business to work more closely with local mines while contributing directly to the regional economy.
The company prioritises employing Goldfields residents wherever possible while supporting local suppliers through its supply chain.
“One of my first and longest-standing employees is a Kalgoorlie local who lived there for 30 years and now works as our operations and technical manager,” Mr Ohl said.
“Our project managers and workshop managers are also Kalgoorlie-based.”
While labour shortages sometimes require fly-in fly-out workers from Perth, the company continues to prioritise local recruitment.
“About 25 per cent of our workforce comes from the Goldfields and around 75 per cent from Perth,” Mr Ohl said.
“Within our workshop and the work we do around Kalgoorlie, we try to keep it local and continue recruiting local people.”
OHLMEC aims to keep as much spending as possible within the Goldfields by purchasing equipment and materials locally – an approach that sometimes involves additional costs but helps strengthen the regional economy.
“We buy our tools and equipment from Kalgoorlie providers,” Mr Ohl said. “We try to keep anything we do in the Goldfields purchased in the Goldfields.”
A niche in quality service
Mr Ohl said the idea for OHLMEC emerged after identifying a gap between small contractors and large labour hire companies servicing the mining sector.
“You either had small enterprises that could provide five or six people, or larger companies supplying 100 to 200 people, but the quality often wasn’t there,” he said.
“The vision was to create a company where people wanted to work, and where we could deliver around 50 highly skilled personnel while maintaining quality.”
The business has grown faster than initially expected.
“It was originally a 10-year plan to reach this point,” Mr Ohl said.
“We now have about 80 to 100 people on the books and can provide 50 to 60 skilled workers on a job.”
Workforce culture and training
OHLMEC places a strong emphasis on workplace culture and team cohesion, believing a positive environment helps attract and retain skilled workers.
“Treat people the way you want to be treated – it’s honestly that simple,” Mr Ohl said.
“You have to be skilled, but you also have to fit the crew and the culture.”
He said the company could grow faster but prioritised maintaining its standards.
“We could be bigger if we just filled seats, but then we’d lose the niche position we’re in.”
The business also runs an employee referral program and invests in workforce development through apprenticeships and visa sponsorships.
“We’ve got three apprentices and about eight visa-sponsored workers,” Mr Ohl said.
Safety and reliability
Safety remains central to OHLMEC’s operations. “We provide a safe, quality service and safety is paramount,” Mr Ohl said.
The company also prides itself on its responsiveness, particularly when urgent maintenance is required.
“We’re a reactive business – we can usually get people on site within about 12 hours,” he said.
“If a client asks for 10 fitters, we send 10 fitters. We don’t rely on labour hire – we send our own people.”
Looking ahead
Despite its rapid growth, OHLMEC’s strategy remains focused on strengthening existing relationships rather than pursuing aggressive expansion.
Just four years after launching, that focus on reliability, quality and community is helping cement OHLMEC’s reputation across the Goldfields.
“What you see is what you get with us,” Mr Ohl said. “We do what we say we’re going to do and deliver quality every time.”
