Oil giant chooses family supply team

A Karratha husband and wife who have expanded their hire fleet from one to 850 vehicles in 13 years have won a contract to supply vehicles to the giant Wheatstone and Gorgon liquefied natural gas projects.

Chevron selected McLaren Hire about four weeks ago to be the preferred supplier of commercial vehicles to the projects in a move the oil and gas giant points to as proof it is creating local jobs.

The $29 billion Wheatstone project, which Chevron approved in September, drew negative reaction last week after a Malaysian company won a contract worth $320 million to build two LNG processing trains.

Commerce Minister Simon O'Brien pointed out that no Australian company bid for the contract but the Government has been hit with persistent claims it has not done enough to ensure locals benefit from the resources boom.

Sean and Lisa Clarke started McLaren Hire in 1998 and have already supplied about 70 light commercial vehicles to the Gorgon project on Barrow Island.

Mr Clarke said developing the business while raising two children aged 8 and 2 had not been easy but with both projects expected to give them work for up to five years, the contract would secure the company's future.

"Our success has been built around making Karratha our home and not seeing it as a place to come, make money and leave," he said.