January 2019 has been a very busy month for us as we completed our second employee ownership transition. Westwind Oak Buildings Limited, the UK’s leading Oak framed housing business completed their move to employee ownership. Former owners, Rupert Newman and Lyndsay Newman sold 100% of their shareholding into an Employee Ownership Trust and now all of the 15 employees are indirect owners of the business and are able to control their destiny.
Rupert and Lyndsay were keen to involve all of the employees in the transition process and regular early morning briefings were held with the team. Four employees have now been appointed to the board of the Company and the Tim Broomfield from employee owned PB Design has been appointed to chair the board of the Employee Ownership Trust.
Rupert has been keen to develop the team’s leadership and general business management skills and the company was assisted in this task by Lance Cross, a Bristol based business performance coach.
The completion of the move to employee ownership was celebrated with a rifle shooting competition and riding high speed buggies around a field!