Tullis Russell hosts Employee Ownership Day
As companies across the UK celebrated Employee Ownership Day Tullis Russell calls on organisations to consider the benefits of employee ownership as a route to sustainable success. The 205-year old business hosted a day of events attended by 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 and 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 Fred Bowden led the events joined by representatives from other employee-owned businesses which are also making a contribution to the local economy; 20 students from the local Bollington St John’s & Pott Shrigley Church School toured the site to find out more about employee ownership.
“Today is an excellent opportunity to join with other employee-owned businesses to celebrate what makes them different,” said Bowden. “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 comments: “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 so that we can reach our target of 10% of UK GDP to be generated by employee-owned business by 2020.”