Churchill Group empowers employees in ownership move

Employee Ownership Trusts do not involve direct share ownership by employees. Instead, a controlling interest in the company is transferred to an all-employee trust which is then held for the benefit of those employees.

The move ensures that the Churchill Group “remains true to its founding entrepreneurial ethos and core values”, while at the same time continuing to grow and evolve for the greater long-term benefit of employees, customers and the communities served.

The decision was taken based on the multiple benefits on offer for employees of the Churchill Group, the opportunity for everyone in the company to benefit from the reward and also to put in place responsible succession planning.

Group CEO James Bradley stated: “The Churchill Group is proud of its difference in the facilities management market, achieving significant growth over 30 years. The Employee Ownership Trust is a natural transition as it continues our unique culture and retains our values of doing things right, always seeking better and putting people first.”

Bradley continued: “Our colleagues are what makes Churchill’s specialist businesses so successful, which is precisely why our founders wanted it to be them who should share in the future success.”

Further, Bradley observed: “When considering ways in which to take the company forward, we were impressed by the benefits becoming an employee-owned business would bring, including the furtherance of our sustainable purpose with better impacts for individuals and the environment.”

Guiding hand

On a daily basis, the company continues to be managed by the existing leadership team, with the founders acting as a guiding hand to support the long-term stability and sustainability of the operation.

The Churchill Group’s constituent businesses – namely Amulet, Churchill Cleaning, Portfolio, On Verve, Chequers, Churchill Environmental and Radish – boast a nationwide customer base delivering security, Front of House, cleaning, water hygiene, social housing facilities management and groundworks and catering services within all major sectors and for some of the UK’s leading organisations.

The Amulet (Churchill Security Solutions) brand is a specialist intelligence-led security partner, providing a complete suite of security services for organisations looking for solutions more tailored to their needs. The brand combines industry-leading technology with highly trained personnel to provide security that helps organisations operate far more smoothly and with the minimum of disruption. 

Registered on the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme, Amulet provides security officers, close protection services, mobile security, event security personnel and remote monitoring and also supplies bespoke security systems (including CCTV, access control and perimeter security solutions).

Churchill Group was both supported and advised on the Employee Ownership Trust transaction by Grant Thornton UK LLP.

According to The White Rose Centre for Employee Ownership Survey 2022, the UK Employee Ownership Trust sector has doubled in size since 2020.