Global Food and Drink Recruitment Consultancy Focus, Refocus Their Business Plan with A Move to Employee Ownership

The EOA welcomes the news its member Focus Management Consultants has become employee owned.

Focus Management Consultants, a recruitment consultancy for the food and drink sector, has announced its transition to employee ownership after establishing an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) and transferring majority ownership (90%) of the business to its employees, giving them a meaningful stake and a say in how the business operates.

Focus’ transition to employee ownership comes at a time of growth and development for the Cheshire-based agency. The change to employee ownership has already led to a significant increase in revenue, with monthly performances ahead of predictions and an optimistic outlook moving forward despite challenging market conditions. Focus recently recruited for their central Manchester office to support the future growth of the business.

The entire team at Focus is excited about the future outlook of the business, with the employee ownership model protecting the ethos and values of the business as well as instilling an even greater sense of ownership across the business.

Stephen Jones, Managing Director and Founder of Focus said:

“After many years of researching the employee ownership model, we adopted the scheme as I wanted a business model that recognises and rewards the joint commitment and success of our team. I believe this is a progressive move that will benefit every employee for their efforts, trust and commitment, as it provides a greater drive and momentum to secure the long-term success of the business.

“After trading for 30 years, I’ve learned the most important asset of the business is the team. The reality of joint ownership has given fresh impetus into what was already a progressive and ambitious business and we are actively looking to recruit more Co-owners to join us as we continue our growth strategy. I’m proud to continue supporting and working with my fellow Co-Owners to build on our success as we continue to deliver a top-quality service for our clients.”

Research from the Employee Ownership Association shows there are over 400 employee-owned businesses in the UK, with over 300,000 employee-owners contributing over £3billion to UK GDP each year. The findings from the Ownership Dividend Report, published following a year-long national inquiry into employee ownership, showed employee-owned businesses are more productive, have higher levels of staff engagement and are more resilient during periods of economic downturn.

Deb Oxley OBE, CEO of the Employee Ownership Association, said:

“I would like to congratulate Focus Management Consultants on its transition to employee ownership. By widening ownership of the business to its employees, Focus Management Consultants is securing the future of the business including its ethos, values and employees while rooting itself locally for the longer term to the benefit of the communities in which it serves.”

Established in 1990, Focus recruits for all disciplines and levels across all food categories in the manufacturing, retail and foodservice arenas, working with progressive organisations from major international PLCs through to SMEs and start-ups.

The Employee Ownership model has a proven track record of improving business performance by giving staff members a real stake in the business, working as an incentive to increase productivity with monetary benefits. Other employee-owned business include Waitrose & Partners, Wilkin and Son Tiptree, Riverford Organic Farmers, Lovering Foods and Cambridge Weight Plan.