Dynamic employee owned
organisations were recognised at an awards ceremony with Scottish companies
pulling off a unique double.
The UK Phillip Baxendale Awards
showcased the very best in British employee ownership and the Scottish winners
show the growing popularity of the business model.
The night saw wins
for two vibrant Scottish businesses where employees have a real stake in their
place of work.
Dick Philbrick,
managing director of engineering firm Clansman Dynamics, was awarded the
“Outstanding Leadership Award” for the inspirational role he has played at the
head of that company, and the clear productivity gains since becoming employee
owned.
Michelle
Quadrelli of technical textile manufacturer Scott and Fyfe received the
“Employee Innovation” award for the exciting marketing
tools she has developed to engage with staff as the business undertakes its
journey to employee ownership.
Dick Philbrick also chairs the
Advisory Board of Co-operative Development Scotland – the agency responsible for
growing employee owned businesses in Scotland.
He said: “I’m accepting this on
behalf of all of my colleagues at Clansman Dynamics. The employees have worked
hard, and risen to the challenge of owning their company. They have all played
their part in the exciting journey we are on, and have all contributed to our
success.”
Sarah Deas, chief executive of
Co-operative Development Scotland, who is recognised as being the catalyst for
the surge in interest in employee ownership and collaborative models in
Scotland, was Highly Commended in the category of ‘Voice of Employee
Ownership.’
Deas added: “What these awards show
is that we are gaining real traction in the business community when it comes to
making the case for employee ownership. Not only do firms benefit from an
increase in staff morale but the evidence clearly points to a rise in
productivity.”
Margaret Paterson, manager of
Dumfries and Galloway home care company, Stewartry Care, was Highly Commended in
the Leadership Award. Dyce based Woollard & Henry was also recognised with a
Highly Commended award for Productivity and Profitability.
The Awards are
co-organised by the Employee Ownership Association and Baxi Partnership. Peter
Stocks, chief executive of the Baxi Partnership, said: “This year’s awards offer
us a catwalk of high-performing businesses that are using their employee owned
model as to drive their success. These exemplar organisations delivering to both
public and private sectors show us the best of British innovation and workforce
passion.
“It has been an incredibly exciting
twelve months for the employee ownership sector, and given the potential in our
growing sector the best is yet to come.”
About CDS
Co-operative Development Scotland
(CDS) is a Scottish Enterprise subsidiary, established to help companies grow by
setting up consortium or employee-owned businesses. It works in partnership with
Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
An employee-owned
business is one in which the employees hold the majority of the shares either
directly or through an employee benefit trust. EO gives employees a meaningful
stake in their organisation together with a genuine say in how it is
run.
Employee
owned businesses account for a combined annual turnover in excess of £30 billion
in the UK, more than two per cent of GDP and growing.
About The Baxi
Partnership
Baxi Partnership is a
dynamic, successful employee owned company. We operate across a range of
sectors, including an advisory service that helps other organisations to become
owned by their employees. The mission of the Baxi Partnership is to support the
growth of strong, sustainable mutual and employee ownership.
Our first-hand
experience in supporting public and private sector organisations for over 12
years shows time and again that giving employees a significant stake in the
enterprise they work for, and real participation in how that enterprise is run,
produces a significant lift in employee motivation from which follow a series of
benefits that drive superior performance.
