Clansman Dynamics - transferred ownership to the company's 30 staff

The company

Based in East Kilbride, Clansman designs, manufactures and exports robotic handling equipment, with clients including Volvo and Fiat.

Employee buyout

In 2009 CDS helped support an EBO to transfer ownership to the company's 30 staff.

Founder Dick Philbrick explained: "Employee ownership will allow us to focus on the long-term, develop an increasing range of technically difficult products and build the business in a highly competitive market.”

Scottish Enterprise introduced Clansman to CDS, who arranged a site visit to another employee owned firm and contributed to the cost of Baxi's consultancy.

An Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) was set up to buy the business on behalf of the employees, using finance including a cash deposit from the company and specialist funding. Employee directors sit on Clansman’s main board and the board of the EBT. All Clansman employees are invited to share pizza and coke at a monthly meeting.

The benefits of employee ownership include increased productivity, profitability and innovation. Empowering employees has led to new ways of doing things, such as improving the way Clansman orders and replaces the 2,000 parts required for each machine. “It means we’re now more focused on good financial as well as technical solutions,” Dick said.

More on transferring ownership