Today, July 4, is Employee Ownership Day – an opportunity for companies that have chosen this model to celebrate their success and spread the word about its benefits.
Co-operative Development Scotland’s chief executive, Sarah Deas, tells us why it is worth celebrating – and why business owners looking for a succession strategy or even a different way of working should take notice.
It may only be in its second year, but already Employee Ownership Day has become a key date in the calendars of employee-owned businesses across the whole of the UK.
There is good reason for this. Employee-owned businesses have something to celebrate; many have seen real, tangible benefits from the model. Staff work closer together, there is a genuine feeling of a common goal and productivity increases.
Today, Page\Park, one of Scotland’s newest employee owned companies, will host our EO Day celebrations, A well-known architectural practice, Page\Park is another great example of how the model not only offers a sound succession option but also is an ideal model for professional practices.
Founders David Page and Brian Park have no immediate plans to leave, but they wanted to ensure that the company’s long-term future was safeguarded – and employee ownership was the best option for them. This was no knee-jerk decision either.
The firm was recently named the UK Employer of the Year in theArchitectural Journal Awards. So its transition is yet another example of how Employee Ownership isn’t just a successful route for business, but it’s a route for successful business.
There are other EO Day events taking place across Scotland today – all highlighting the value the model plays not only to individual businesses, but also to Scotland’s economy.
We’ll be tweeting live from the Page\Park event on @cdscotland. Do join us and share your own employee ownership success stories.