Overhead Conveyor Company (OCC), 80 Years of Work—and the Operating Engineers Who Help Make It Happen
At automotive plants across Michigan, the quiet moments are often the most important.
A shutdown window.
A cleared production line.
A narrow stretch of time where everything must come together—old systems removed, new ones installed, and an entire operation rebuilt before the first shift returns.
For the crews of Overhead Conveyor Company (OCC) including the Operating Engineers 324 members who are part of them, those moments are where preparation, skill, and trust all meet.
“We have a set amount of time, so things have to get done,” said Paul Vachon, an Operating Engineers 324 member of 31 years and OCC’s Operator Field Manager. “For example, at General Motors Flint Truck and Bus (factory), we had a large group come in at shutdown, and we go through and had to tear out the flex-lifts, backfill the pits with slurry and then concrete, tie in the lines, and get the plant set up to come back online with new robotics.”
“We prep throughout the year, and then set-up the whole new system during shutdown.”
That same type of work is performed across multiple facilities, where shutdown schedules, tight timelines, and complex coordination between trades require the same level of preparation and execution. In those environments, OCC crews and OE324 operators are responsible for removing outdated systems, installing new conveyor and robotic infrastructure, and ensuring that entire production lines are ready to run when the plant comes back online.
That work—complex, high-pressure, and often unseen—is at the heart of OCC’s nearly 80-year history. And it is work that has always relied on skilled union labor.
“We’re a 100% union company… every operator, millwright, and iron worker,” said OCC President Ted Woodbeck. “We pay union wages and we pay union benefits to everybody that works for us. It’s the way it is.”
A Company Built from the Trades
OCC’s story begins in 1945, at the end of World War II, when American industry was transitioning back to peacetime production.
It began with a group of skilled tradesmen—and a moment that forced a decision.
“My grandfather had talked to a few guys about starting their own business, “ Woodbeck explains. “The company he was working for called him in and asked him ‘Is it true that you’re talking about starting your own company?’”
“My grandfather said, ‘Well yeah, but we were just talking.’ And the owner goes, ‘Well… we’re gonna let you go.’”
With that, the company was born.
Eight tradesmen set up shop in a Detroit garage, building gang boxes and taking on field work with no engineering department, no fabrication shop—only experience and determination.
“They got together in my grandfather’s garage and built gang boxes. They didn’t have any engineering, but they were all (experienced) field hands,” Woodbeck says.
Their first job came quickly, but even that required a leap of faith from their customer.
“They had no money, so Fisher Body prepaid them to make their payroll,” he said.
From that moment forward, OCC grew alongside the automotive industry, building a reputation for conveyor systems and industrial installation that continues today.
Adapting Through Change and Challenge
Like the industry it serves, OCC has evolved over decades—expanding into structural steel, navigating economic downturns, and adjusting to shifts in manufacturing.
One of its most defining decisions came in the early 1990s, when the company chose to exit the structural steel business and focus entirely on conveyor work.
“As part of a settlement, we elected to shut down those operations,” Woodbeck said. “We didn’t file bankruptcy. We paid all our bills and then moved completely over to conveyors to concentrate on that, because we felt that was the future.”
That focus would carry the company through the challenges that followed—including the 2008 financial crisis.
“Our sales were cut in half. We were losing money,” Woodbeck said.
But OCC’s role in keeping production moving proved essential.
“When they went through bankruptcy, some companies went unpaid and lost everything. We were deemed essential though, so we didn’t really lose anything on that,” he said.
Rather than scaling back, the company made a deliberate choice.
“We didn’t cut anything. We kept everybody – we just kept our head down and survived it,” Woodbeck said.
By 2011, OCC was growing again—positioned to take advantage of renewed investment in manufacturing.
The Work and the Operators Who Make It Happen
Today, OCC operates across conveyor, tooling, and industrial work—supporting automotive plants, robotics installations, and large-scale industrial projects.
“So right now our mix is probably 50% conveyor, 50% tooling,” Woodbeck said.
In addition to traditional automotive conveyor work, OCC has expanded into full-scale tooling installation—handling entire robotic systems and body shop builds—and into broader industrial projects such as large distribution centers and facility upgrades. This diversification has allowed the company to apply its core strengths—precision installation, coordination of trades, and heavy equipment operation—across a wider range of industries.
But no matter the scope of the project, the work depends on skilled trades—and especially on Operating Engineers.
“Our operators run all of our cranes, all of our fork trucks… anything we got equipment-wise, they’re doing the work,” Woodbeck said.
“It’s nothing for us to have 20 operators on the job site.”
For Vachon, that responsibility extends beyond the jobsite. As Operator Field Manager, he is responsible for staffing projects across Michigan and beyond.
“I do all the hiring in Michigan, and I have foremen on the other jobs. I keep a great list of folks I know can be trusted.”
“I do my hiring early, and we take care of our guys. I have expectations, and our equipment is clean, organized, and we do what we are told.”
That preparation is what allows OCC crews to meet the demands of shutdown work—where coordination between operators, millwrights, and ironworkers is critical.
“It is the organization and planning… that means everyone – superintendents, foremen, operators, millwrights, and ironworkers – being on the same page.”
A Career and a Brotherhood
For many operators, the work at OCC is more than a job—it’s a way of life.
“The conveyor world isn’t just a job,” said OE324 member Willard Hardy. “It’s a lifestyle. You have to be willing to sacrifice.”
That sacrifice often comes in the form of long hours and unpredictable schedules.
“Every shutdown is a crunch to get things done,” Hardy said. “They say ‘this has to get done by X date’ and we make it happen.”
Ken Williams, a third-generation Operating Engineer with 34 years in the trade, sees it as part of the commitment.
“We work when there’s work to be done,” he said.
But what keeps operators coming back is the people.
“When you have to make a dual critical pick with another operator, you gotta have that trust,” Williams said. “Whether it’s a piece that’s $100, or $1,000,000, we do things right.”
“It’s family. Very genuine people I work with.”
That sense of connection is echoed across the workforce.
“The best part of being a member of OE324? The people you meet,” Vachon said. “There’s a camaraderie in that brotherhood… you end up becoming friends.”
“Everybody is just so helpful… everybody looks out for everybody else,” Hardy added.
A Family Culture That Still Shows Up on the Job
Despite its growth, OCC remains a family-led company—and that culture is visible on job sites.
“It’s really a family,” Vachon said. “Woody, Tom, Ted, Mike Sherman – this is still a family business. Everyone of them is still active – you see them on jobs. They help you out if you need it, and you can talk to any of them.”
That sense of support extends beyond the field.
Vachon points to the office staff as a critical part of the operation.
“They’re the unsung heroes… always right there… fixing things right away,” he said, highlighting the behind-the-scenes work that keeps projects moving.
For Hardy, the culture is simple.
“They treat you like family.”
Looking Ahead
As OCC celebrates its 80th anniversary, the company continues to grow—expanding into new markets and investing in the next generation of skilled workers.
Part of that growth includes expansion beyond Michigan, particularly into Texas, where OCC has established operations to pursue industrial and distribution work. The move allows the company to serve new customers in logistics, manufacturing, and defense-related industries, while applying the same union-driven, quality-focused approach that has defined its work in the Midwest.
Even in a more competitive, often non-union market like Texas, OCC has maintained its commitment to union labor—bringing Operating Engineers and other trades into new regions and continuing to build its reputation on reliability, skill, and service.
“My Grandfather always emphasized how important it was to have a good relationship with the unions,” says Woodbeck. “He felt one of the best ways to cultivate that relationship was to volunteer your time for the benefit of the men by participating as a Trustee. He understood that for everyone to be successful labor and management had to be united working together toward the same goals. This why he felt compelled to develop good labor and management relations which was passed down though his two sons and myself as a second and third generation of Trustees.”
The same care is paid into the building of the team itself.
“We strive to build and maintain a culture by having an environment focused on trust, growth, and accountability. We put a big emphasis on developing relationships and cultivating an atmosphere for professional and personal development. First and foremost, to be successful at OCC you must be a self-starter and able to work/communicate successfully with others. OCC’s success and value is solely based on the hard work and dedication of our employees and skilled labor working together a team.”
“It’s hard to bring young people in and train them,” Woodbeck said. “But, if they make it, you’ve got a diamond in the rough.”
For Vachon, that next generation is already part of the job.
“I’m grateful for the people who made me who I am, and I pass that on to our young guys,” he said. “Keep your stuff clean and be prompt… when the bell rings, everyone’s ready.”
Nearly 80 years after its founding, OCC Systems remains rooted in the same principles it started with: skilled trades, hard work, and a commitment to doing the job right.
From a garage in Detroit to job sites across the country, the tools and technology have changed—but the foundation has not.
And on every project, Operating Engineers 324 members continue to play a central role—lifting, setting, and building the systems that keep industry moving.
Because when the line starts back up, and production resumes, the work speaks for itself.
