The owners of a Fife engineering consultancy firm have secured jobs after handing over ownership to the firm’s employees.
Alistair Christie and Richard Gillespie set up Burntisland-based Christie Gillespie Consulting Engineers in 2015.
Since, they have taken the firm to over £1 million turnover.
The duo have now turned to employee ownership specialist, Ownership Associates, to implement their long-term succession plan.
That will see all members of staff gain a share in the business through an employee ownership trust.
A move six years in the making
It is hoped the move to employee ownership will create a lasting legacy for its loyal team, to whom the owners have attributed the success of the business.
Mr Gillespie said: “This is a move that has been six years in the making.
“From the get-go Alistair and I were determined to leave a lasting legacy for our staff which centred on our core values of generating exceptional client-driven service.
“We have been fortunate enough to have an extremely high retention rate amongst our staff, with just one colleague leaving us in the six years of operating.
“It’s this dedication and drive that has reinforced our decision to go down the employee ownership route.”
Christie Gillespie is currently spread across bases in Fife, Dundee and East Lothian, with plans to further expand in the near future.
Mr Christie said: “We had envisioned this idea of adopting a succession model for the business when we first started. We just didn’t know what that would be.
“We decided quickly against selling to another firm. That would have meant the possibility of staff relocation or job loss and a risk to the company ethos and culture built on strong client focus and communication.
“It became clear through the years that some form of employee ownership model was our number one choice, but we didn’t quite know how it would work.”
‘One of the biggest achievements’
He praised the work of Carole Leslie at Ownership Associates for her support during the transition.
Mr Christie said she left no stone unturned during the process.
The co-founder said: “It’s emotional discussing the succession plan of something you have built from scratch.
“Carole understood how we felt, how the staff would feel, and what needed to be done moving forward.”
The Fife firm’s co-founders hope the transition will see the company continue to flourish.
They hope staff will be more engaged now they have a stake in the success of the firm.
Mr Gillespie added: “We recently held our first team meeting following our transition to employee ownership.
“Already we could see every member of staff was more engaged than ever before.
“It was the most productive meeting we’ve ever had.
“Adopting employee ownership is undoubtedly one of the biggest achievements in our careers.”