Companies across England and Wales are increasingly opting to sell the majority stake to employees, leading dealmakers the GS Verde Group has advised.

The staff of top training organisation Educ8 Training Group have recently become majority shareholders of the business, as the company announced the successful completion of an Employee Ownership Trust scheme whereby employees collectively own 51 percent of the business.

The scheme will create a more employee-centric structure to empower staff and benefit the company as a whole. Educ8 has a reputation for putting its 200-strong team and the community at the heart of the business and is renowned for its clear values approach.

Speaking ahead of an upcoming employee ownership webinar, Grant Santos, CEO of Educ8 Training said,

We strive to provide a great working environment and an enriching learning experience for our learners and partners. We champion world class employee engagement and are proud to recognise our staff in a meaningful and significant way.

People are at the heart of what we do. As a company based on strong moral principles and values, this decision is a natural transition. It is our staff, the Educ8 family that has created such a great environment to work in. It is now time for all those involved to share in that success. We will drive the business to even greater heights and maximise the opportunity that the creation of the EOT brings to all involved.

The deal was shortly followed by Handy Brand, a South West-based printing company with an exceptional reputation for high quality products and customer service, announced it too had completed an Employee Ownership Trust scheme.

Staff will now share a majority stake in the business, providing them with day-to-day benefits and financial incentives, with Handy Brand seeing the value of its employees, their individual talents and what they achieve collectively. A trust scheme like this is not common with such a small team, giving the employees at Handy Brand a tremendous opportunity to share in its success.

Owner of Handy Brand, Martyn Kilford, explained:

Being a small, close-knit team gives us a big advantage over our competitors. Each team member is an integral cog in the Handy Brand machine.

Without our excellent team members and loyal customers, Handy Brand's success would be nowhere near what it is today. That's why I decided to set up the Employee Ownership Trust scheme, to show my huge appreciation for their unwavering professionalism and empower their future development for many years to come.

Both companies will use their new employee-owned structure to propel future growth.

Dealmaking experts GS Verde Group advised throughout the transactions.

Considering employee ownership for your business? View GS Verde’s FREE EOT Guide for useful advice and tips about employee ownership.