White Horse Contractors is one of those rare companies where staff stay on the payroll for years. Many have been with the company, based at Lodge Hill, near Abingdon, for more than two decades and some a lot longer, including digger driver Derek Thatcher, who has just decided to retire this year at the age of 75.

Over that time they will have seen the business, founded by Arnold Binning in 1957, grow from being a drainage contractor working with local farmers and builders to a multi-faceted company with specialties in turf, sports pitches, race courses and the creation of wetland areas.

Now under the chairmanship of Mr Binning’s son, John, its many clients include Chelsea Football Club (it constructed the training ground pitches at Cobham, Surrey for £2.9m); the Royal Brunei Polo Club and the National Football Centre at Burton Upon Trent.

One of the biggest ongoing projects for White Horse is on the Olympic Park in London, site of the 2012 games, where the company is busy creating the wetlands area and landscaping.

It is also looking to provide the hockey pitches, an example of which has been laid out at Lodge Hill, and is tendering for contracts due to come into force after the games, when it is decided what the legacy will be.

But White Horse places just as much importance on its local projects as those it is perhaps more well known for nationally and internationally.

It has done a substantial amount of work at St Hugh’s Preparatory School, Faringdon, and has been involved in a large play park area at Ladbroke Way, Abingdon.

Business development manager James Coney said: “We are involved in a wide range of projects, from small parks to the Olympics. Many local people don’t know we exist and we would like to change that.”

A key project recently has been to help create a new 18-hole golf course at Heythrop Park, north Oxfordshire.

Working alongside McKenzie & Ebert Architects for almost three years, the contract included the construction of primary and secondary drainage systems and substantial tree planting to blend in with existing mature trees on the site. New stone walling was also created across the site.

Good relationships with building firms are vitally important to White Horse. They include main Olympics contractor BAM Nuttall, while it will itself call on more regional builders, such as Abingdon-based Leadbitter, to work on its own contracts.

One apparent cloud on the horizon for firms such as White Horse is the closure of the Building Schools for the Future programme as part of the Government’s cost-cutting measures.

But Mr Coney reckons it is very much “still alive” as projects already agreed will keep going for several years.

He added: “BSF was big for us but we just have to be competitive. It helps that we are such a diverse company. For example, we are working on some landscape projects at the moment that are being funded by the Lottery, and we do a lot for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. There is still money out there.”

It could be argued that White Horse specialises in the type of project that if it is right, then no-one will notice, but if it is wrong it becomes a public talking point.

The pitch at Wembley Stadium —in which is was not involved — is a case in point. Suddenly, the parlous state of the turf started making national headlines.

Mr Coney said: “The mixture of artificial grass will help but it is being over-used with events such as rugby, concerts and football matches, as the stadium debt is so great.”

Investment in the future is important to White Horse and the company runs an apprenticeship scheme that operates as a four-year block release course, while others such as Michael McIntyre, have joined the company straight from university.

Mr McIntyre, 21, is a computer aided design (CAD) technician and site surveyor — the latter a skill which he admits is new to him since he graduated from Manchester’s Metropolitan University with a degree in landscape architecture.

But what it allows him to do is set up a design on a computer and then ensure it takes shape in the field.

Another key member of staff is construction supervisor Tony Martin, who specialises in the equestrian side of the business, which fits in with his background as a former showjumper. Clients have ranged from Ascot Racecourse to the Black Bears Polo Club in Henley.

He said: “It is a growing area of activity. There will always be race courses and a need for good facilities.”

The emphasis on technology carries right through to the front end of the business. The company now has plant guided by a global positioning system (GPS) which allows precision digging and lay-out to within 25 millimetres.

Plant manager Phil Matchwick said: “The CAD design is sighted by the machine which then carries out the operation. There is continuous investment in new machinery — that is what the company has always done.”

And with that philosophy applicable to staff as well as machinery, the long-term future of White Horse looks assured.

Name: White Horse Contractors Established: 1957 Chairman: John Binning Number of staff: 100 Annual turnover: Confidential

Contact: 01865 736272 Web: www.whitehorsecontractors.co.uk