Our Story

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Our History

OKAY is a family company built on knowhow, hard work and the fundamental belief that the customer is king.

70 years of knowledge

Founded in 1950 by Oates Kay, we have always been a UK manufacturer with our own design house but it is noteworthy how the DNA of our company was set so early on.  The first machine OKAY ever built was a conveyor and the first material we ever handled was waste.  We have never gone away from those twin foundations of our knowledge base.  Instead, we have built upon them.  Decade after decade, we have built more machines, more handling systems, more waste processing facilities and more recycling plants by applying our ever-lengthening experience in material flow and waste sorting.

After 70 years, OKAY is a recognised technology leader in recycling and materials handling.

Still owned and run by the Kay family, the business owns its 10-acre site in Desborough, Northamptonshire, UK, where the Company designs and builds all its equipment.  With extensive investment in automated production and solar energy, and with more to follow in 2025, OKAY matches at home what it delivers for customers: the best cost and carbon solutions in recycling equipment.

With engineering still the bedrock of our business, OKAY continues to extend its supply into handling all material types and recovering value from all types of waste.

It’s our passion to be the best we can be for our customers, for each other and for a clean future, because, for our planet and all its inhabitants, sustainability and material circularity cannot come soon enough.