Michael Roderick Oliver (born September 1938), is an English businessman, philanthropist and chairman of four Cheshire based companies – Oliver Valves, Oliver Valvetek, Oliver Twinsafe and Oliver Hydcovalves– which manufacture high-pressure valves for the oil and gas sector.
Business career Michael Oliver established his first business, Oliver Valves, in 1979 in a one-car garage at his home in Hale, Cheshire, England."The Sunday Times online - Leading Edge : My biggest influence was the Viet Cong" thesundaytimes.co.uk 23 July 2010"The Daily Telegraph Online - Engineer calls for tax breaks for exporters" telegraph.co.uk 21 August 2012 The business began by producing a single product – an innovative severe-service needle valve. Today, the three companies sell over 400,000 valves a year, employ over 280 people worldwide and operate through offices in several locations around the world, including Dubai, Kuala Lumpur. The companies’ customers are major energy companies including Petrobras and Exxon."Financial Times online - A bastion of British engineering" ft.com 3 May 2011"The Daily Telegraph online - Find the right partner to be an exporting success" telegraph.co.uk 18 July 2013"Real Business - How to get on the Sunday Times Rich List" realbusiness.co.uk 9 May 2011 The 2013 Sunday Times Rich List placed him as Britain's 169th richest person with an estimated £517million fortune."The Sunday Times online - Wealth reaches new peaks" thesundaytimes.co.uk 21 April 2013"Sky News online - Britain's Rich Enjoying Record Wealth" news.sky.com 28 April 2012 He was awarded the Order of the British Empire by the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2012 and has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Cheshire since 2011."Knutsford Guardian online - Oliver Valves boss Michael Oliver awarded OBE in Queen's birthday honours list" knutsfordguardian.co.uk 21 June 2012"Cheshire Lieutenancy - Deputy Lieutenants F-O" cheshirelieutenancy.org.uk 21 June 2012"Manchester Evening News online - Exports push Oliver Valves profits to almost £20m" manchestereveningnews.co.uk 10 December 2012 He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering by the University of Chester for his services to Engineering in 2013."University of Chester website - A day to cherish for new graduates" chester.ac.uk 15 March 2013
Philanthropy
Oliver is a long-term supporter of a wide range of charities in the North West of England, nationally and internationally: Oliver recently established the Michael Oliver Foundation, which supports carers living in the Cheshire area. In 2011, he helped fund the creation of a memorial to the Canadian aircrews who fought alongside the Royal Air Force during World War II, located at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire."The Windsor Star online - England creates memorial for fallen Canadian airmen" http://canada.com/windsorstar 28 June 2011 To raise funds for the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, he bought and donated a limited edition maquette sculpture to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund for permanent display at the RAF Club in Piccadilly, London, and pledged to fund half of any future costs to ensure it is well maintained. Also donating to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, Oliver bought a Row2Recovery boat originally used by a six-man crew of former British soldiers for a 3,000-mile cross-Atlantic challenge. He then returned it to the crew to be used again for a nominal fee of £1. Oliver is a key donor to Greater Manchester charity Wood Street Mission, donating two vans to the charity in 2013. Various donations to Destination Florida, a Manchester-based charity, have been made, including directly funding a trip to Florida for numerous sick children along with their doctors and carers. Pictor Academy in Manchester, a school for children with special educational needs, were donated a specially adapted Variety Sunshine Coach along with a number of tablet computers for the classrooms.
Automobile and aircraft collection
Oliver has a large collection of automobile, motorcycles, aircraft and aircraft engines and his collection also includes the late Fred Dibnah's traction engine."Dibnah's engine sold for £240,000" BBC.co.uk 25 July 2010"Manchester Evening News online - How valve-maker millionaire Michael lets off some steam" manchestereveningnews.co.uk 12 May 2011
References
External links Oliver Valves' website