Crookes Walker to become employee-owned

The Manchester-based M&E consultancy said the change in structure would both secure the company’s future and reward its 50-strong staff for their hard work.

Crookes Walker Consultancy was founded in 2004 by Dave Walker and Paul Crookes. The company has offices in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham.

In order to become employee-owned, the majority of shareholdings in the consultancy will be transferred to an employee-owned trust. That trust will provide oversight to CWC’s board of directors, who will continue to handle the day-to-day business of the company.

In a statement, founders Crookes and Walker described the reasoning behind becoming an EOT.

They said: “We are only as good as the people within the practice and we wanted to ensure that with any succession plan, their future was not just secured but enhanced. EOT is the ideal way to achieve both goals whilst helping to attract and retain the best talent in the industry.

“As a forward-facing business CWC needs to ensure it has the ability to be agile and open to change. EOT provides the opportunity for the next generation of engineering expertise and business ideas to flourish in an environment where openness and creativity benefits everyone.”

CWC will retain its current board of directors throughout the process, including chief executive Chris Skinner, chief technical officer Andy Ringland, and chief financial officer Steve Plant.

Skinner said: “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead this great business through its next stage of evolution and the EOT structure will perfectly reflect and secure the principles upon which the company is founded.”

Other employee-owned companies in the North West include Liverpool-based consultancy Curtins,  multidisciplinary consultancy Hollis, Chadderton-based builder J Greenwood, and Ancoats-based Triangle Architects.