In 1953, to mark the centenary of the company, it was suggested that suitable presentations be made to employees who had completed long service. The Managing Director of the UK at that time (Mr W. A. Frater) said that a presentation of a gold watch would be made to any employee who during the year had completed 35 or more years of uninterrupted service and who was still actively at work.
From this announcement the idea of the Long Service Association was conceived by a number of employees and with a 50 guinea donation from the company the Association got under way. The founder members were – Sid Courtney, Dick Garnsey and Jack Bamford.
The first annual dinner was held the following year in London in the autumn of 1954 with an attendance of 64 people for the princely sum of 14 shillings.
The organisation was originally called The Otis (London) Long Service Association but for obvious reasons the name was changed in 1973 and so The Otis (UK) Long Service Association was born.
In order to modernise the Association, following several meetings of the OLSA Management Committee, it was agreed that a new Association was to be formed which is aimed at broadening the membership and promoting social interaction between current and former employees of Otis UK & Ireland.
It was agreed that the new fraternity would be named, The Otis (UK & Ireland) Association and its purpose is to connect current and former employees of the company across the country through social events. Unlike OLSA, there will be no length of service requirement and therefore anyone who has worked for Otis Limited or its Subsidiary Companies will be very welcome to join.
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