We’re quite good at building bridges here in Otley. Indeed, the one that crosses the River Wharfe dates back almost eight centuries and has helped make Otley what it is today.
Arguably, without it, getting produce to the town’s market would have been much harder, and the town’s trading history—and, by extension, its very shape—might have been quite different.
It’s quite serendipitous, then, that when leading Irish civil, structural and environmental engineering consultancy ROD decided to set up a UK office in 2019, they chose Otley.
The company’s history goes back much further, of course. ROD was set up by Derry Roughan and Joe O’Donovan in 1974, initially working from their family homes until they opened their first office in Stillorgan, Dublin, in 1978.
Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength, helped along by their move into bridge engineering, encouraged by Derry’s father, JJ Roughan, a consulting engineer who also specialised in bridges.
Fast forward to today and they are a leading company in that sector, with other divisions in transportation, buildings, geotechnical, water and environmental engineering.
Projects they’ve worked on include some impressive structures: the iconic Humber Bridge, the Northern Spire Bridge in Sunderland and the award-winning Renfrew Bridge over the River Clyde in Scotland.
The desire to expand their UK presence around the time of Brexit prompted the move to open an office here, with Rob McCartney, director of ROD UK, explaining that Otley was chosen for its proximity to Leeds Bradford Airport and easy connections to Dublin, access to Leeds, and semi-rural setting.
They initially set up in a single office in the Pegholme building at Wharfebank Mills. Expansion has been so extensive that they are now looking to take over the whole second floor of the historic building.
While ROD’s roots may be in Ireland, the Otley office’s heart is firmly fixed in its adopted home. The team regularly attend local events such as the Otley Cycle Races, are keen to support local charities and business initiatives, and are looking to recruit locally as they expand further.
They regularly exhibit at Prince Henry’s recruitment fairs and have also established a two-year graduate rotation programme in an effort to attract local talent.
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