Tullis Russell hosts 'Employee Ownership Day'
As companies across the UK celebrate 'Employee Ownership Day', Tullis Russell is calling on organisations to consider the benefits of employee ownership as a route to sustainable success. The 205 year old business which has a company in Bollington hosted a day of events attended by other key 'EO' businesses including John Lewis, Parfetts Cash & Carry and Gaeia.
As a leading producer of premium paper, cartonboard and specialist coatings Tullis Russell has over 740 employee owners working across three international sites. Its site in Bollington, which has been part of the Group since 1989, accommodates a leading international Coating and Converting division which makes everything from postage stamp paper, to visa paper, to tax stamp paper. The company's flagship trusecurity range of security paper and film products has been used on applications as diverse as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge's christening postage stamp to the EU Schengen Visa.
Chairman of Tullis Russell Fred Bowden led the events, joined by representatives from other employee owned businesses which are also making a contribution to the local economy. Twenty students from the local Bollington St John's & Pott Shrigley Church School also toured the site to find out more about employee ownership.
Fred Bowden commented: "Today is an excellent opportunity to join with other employee-owned businesses to celebrate what makes employee-owned businesses different. It was fitting that employees and the local community were heavily involved in the day itself. By design, our structure places people at the heart of the operation and allows them to share in its successes. Employee ownership facilitates independent decision making, allowing us to focus on the long-term without the short-term pressures often imposed by external shareholders."
Our commitment to this ethos was inspired by the strong personal belief of our then Chairman, David Erdal that employee ownership was a healthier, more satisfying company structure for employees to work in. His championing of the link between a deeper level of employee ownership and greater customer satisfaction continues to guide our strategy today.
Employee Ownership Association CEO Iain Hasdell said:"Companies such as Tullis Russell are great examples of the success and engagement that can be achieved in an employee owned environment. The EOA is delighted to work on their behalf to celebrate Employee Ownership Day, and make it easier for other UK companies to follow their lead into employee ownership so that we can reach our target of 10% of UK GDP to be generated by employee owned business by 2020."
ENDS
For further information, contact:
Fergus Reid, T: 0141 222 2040; M: 07971 583 535 fergus.reid@smarts.co.uk
Notes to editors:
With a series of events and activities taking place across the UK this is an important day for Employee Ownershipas the EO Day 2014will raise awareness of employee ownership as an economically strong and balanced business model. Benefits of employee ownership proven in EOA research include increased employee health and well-being, increased productivity and innovation, and:
- UK employee owned companies have a turnover of around 3% of GDP (over £30 billion) pa.
- Employee-owners have higher levels of job satisfaction, feel a greater sense of achievement and job security and are more likely to recommend their workplace than employees in non-employee owned businesses.
- Employee owned businesses operate in a range of sectors including healthcare, social care, education, transport, manufacturing, retail and professional services.
Tullis Russell is a leading independent papermaking and speciality coating company.
Tullis Russell is unlike other companies in the industry: it is employee-owned with a strong emphasis on the empowerment of all employees to work as partners rather than just suppliers, in order to develop and deliver the very best products for our clients. Founded in 1809, the Company has built an outstanding global reputation for producing high quality paper and boards for use in the graphical, cards, covers and premium packaging markets and for its expertise in the speciality coating market.
www.tullis-russell.com @tullis_russell
