Case Studies

A collection of case studies showcasing the inspiring stories and successes of our Employee Ownership Association members.

EO Stories 2022 - 28 case studies on good leadership, governance, engagement & EO culture

The EO Stories 2022 competition focussed on four categories: outstanding employee ownership culture, plus the three pillars of an effective EO culture – good leadership, good governance and good engagement. Hear from 28 employee-owned businesses on the impacts EO is having on employees and the performance of their business. more

EO Stories 2021 - 35 case studies on wellbeing, resilience, governance & engagement

Our EO Stories 2021 competition showcased 35 insightful and inspiring stories across four categories – True EO Champion, Delivering Good Governance and Engagement, Developing Business Resilience, and Promoting Employee Wellbeing. Hear from employee-owned businesses of all sizes about how being better together in business helped during a time of great change during the pandemic. more

Go Ape

What started out as a drawing and a vision of a future involving “trees, tepees, tree houses and bonfires” has evolved into an adventure company welcoming more than a million visitors a year – and one that is now employee-owned after Go Ape’s founders handed over control to their 1,000-strong workforce. more

Aardman Animations

As the Oscar-winning animation studio responsible for world-renowned titles such as Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run and more, Aardman’s transition to employee ownership caused ripples in the media industry when it was announced in 2018. more

Scott & Fyfe

Scottish firm Scott & Fyfe, which has been designing and producing a vast range of technical textiles for global markets for over 150 years, has a hybrid EO model. Its Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) holds at least 51% of shares to have the majority of the shareholding, while direct ownership is achieved through a combination of a share incentive plan (SIP) and an enterprise management incentive scheme (EMI). more

Gripple

Gripple, which designs and manufactures precision engineering products for export to more than 80 countries, employs more than 800 people across 15 global locations and wants them all to share in its success and ‘realise how good it is to be employee-owned’. “Our employee owners are committed because they personally have shares in the business – this leaves us in a great position to innovate and grow.” more

Voice Technologies

How software provider’s transition to employee ownership in 2013 allowed it to protect its people, its customer base, and the values that had been built into the business over the years. more

Howden Group

Peter Blanc from Howden highlights the cultural and financial benefits of its direct ownership model. Howden has always had employee ownership at its heart - 35% of shares in the business are owned by employees as the biggest shareholder group, with three different investment houses each owning just over 20%, which ensures Howden stays under employee ownership for the long term. more

Creative Space Management

Property management and urban regeneration consultancy opted to transition to employee ownership to secure the future of the business for its teams, which operate across the North of England. more

HLM Architects

Award-winning architectural practice says employee ownership was ‘right for our next generation’ and the ‘natural next step’ to further ingrain a culture that already existed at the ‘people-centric’ firm. more

Purcell

As one of the world’s leading architectural heritage conservation experts, Purcell took seven years from initially finding out about employee ownership to becoming an EO business in May 2021 – a structural change for the company “the likes of which it has never seen before” in its 74-year history. more

Airmaster

The air conditioning firm was founded in 1992 and established an employee ownership trust in July 2021 to help safeguard the culture it had already created as an ‘employee-driven’ business. more

Horizon Platforms

A platform hire company from West Yorkshire admits one of the most important lessons it has learnt from its transition to employee ownership is to take advice from other businesses that have been through the process. more

Synergy Vision

‘Fresh. Smart. Open. Real. That’s Synergy Vision’s commitment to delivering the difference’ – this set of values is what has helped the medical communications agency claim industry recognition and numerous awards over the years, according to founder and Global CEO Ffyona Dawber. more

John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership is the UK’s largest employee owned business and parent company of two cherished retail brands – John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners, which are owned in Trust by their 83,900 Partners. more

City Health Care Partnership CIC

City Health Care Partnership CIC, is a growing co-owned ‘for better profit’ business providing a wide range of health and care services across numerous geographical areas including Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire and Knowsley, Merseyside. more