Having relocated to the Midlands, Ray was working within the Engineering Employers Federation in Leamington Spa and in 1976 began delivering structured training programmes for the EEF, before striking out on his own in 1984 as Ace Safety Services The business initially operated from Ray’s home selling safety equipment alongside training services, with Ray, his wife Sheila and son Craig all very much involved from the outset. It was not long before the business took its first premises on the High Street in Southam, Warwickshire Ace Safety Services continued to sell safety equipment, but in 1988 the name OSTAS (Occupational Safety Training and Advisory Services) was identified as a more suitable brand to carry forward the rapidly developing training side of the operation. Before long the business had outgrown the High Street premises and moved to a new facility on Southam’s Industrial Park, taking up residence in a building with administrative office facilities and several dedicated training rooms.
