Olympus Automation

Who we are

An innovative family business, our success is underpinned by our founder, Harry Norman’s passion for technology and enthusiasm for change. We’re using automation and robotics to shake up the food industry and improve how our food is made. 

Founded in 1993, Harry Norman was just 28 when he decided to build OAL. Having stumbled across a robotics course at Coventry University, he fell in love with the technology and saw its potential to change the face of the food industry.

Initially the business supplied software to machine builders and directly to food manufacturers. A newly married father of two very young children, it was a bold decision to set up a business on his own, especially as the family’s main breadwinner. But it was a risk that soon paid off as the company was profitable from the very first year. It’s this drive for success that has characterised the entire history of the company.

Connecting the dots

OAL Connected scans and verifies over 7.8 billion packs per year

As the business evolved, Harry realised that the strength of OAL lay in the team’s ability to innovate. In 2001, OAL Connected label and date code verification was launched. Our market-leading system stops label and date code errors on over 1,200 food packaging lines increasing efficiency and avoiding product recalls.