SHEFFIELD'S GRIPPLE CELEBRATES EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP WITH BUSINESSES IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Published 28 June 2023 at 1:00pm

Over 70 people joined Gripple at its GLIDE House headquarters in Sheffield to celebrate Employee Ownership (EO) Day (Friday 23rd June) at a special event held in association with the EOA (Employee Ownership Association) and the Ownership Hub in South Yorkshire.

Gripple, the Sheffield-based employee-owned manufacturer of wire joiners and tensioners for agriculture, construction and the solar industry, has been an employee-owned business for almost 30 years and, as an EO Ambassador, is committed to supporting and encouraging other businesses to transition to this model.

 Keynote speakers at the EO day event included South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, Gripple’s Group Managing Director Ed Stubbs, James de le Vingne – CEO of the Employee Ownership Association. 

 Delegates at the event, who were mainly employee owners or businesses exploring the transition to employee ownership, enjoyed a champagne reception followed by a three-course lunch and speed networking session.

 Gripple’s Group Managing Director Ed Stubbs said: “The last few years have been very challenging for business as many of us know only too well. However, in spite of these adverse circumstances, the last reported financial year shows that the combined turnover of the SY EO businesses represented here today was over £400m, representing growth of 15% on the previous year. Together the EO businesses present employ over 2,000 people and last year we created another 100 jobs. I think we can agree this is quite an achievement.”

 South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “In South Yorkshire we are leading the way in employee ownership, co-operatives and alternative business models that have the potential to transform our region’s economy. We are proud to host the country’s first Ownership Hub, which is just one example of our ambition, and our commitment to creating an economy that works for everyone; where more wealth is created here, and more wealth stays here. We don’t just want a bigger economy in South Yorkshire, we want a better economy in South Yorkshire.

“We have many businesses in our region just like Gripple that put employees at the heart of their business structure and, in turn, create a flexible and inclusive environment for their companies to thrive in. People see how their contribution directly shapes the wealth and prosperity they enjoy, and production becomes a community-driven effort.”

James de le Vingne, CEO of the EOA, explains: “Employee ownership has incredible transformative potential for UK business. As the sector continues to grow, we want to highlight that EO produces results for businesses, employees, the economy and the planet. That’s why, for this year’s EO Day, our theme is #TheEOeffect – celebrating this fantastic impact is at the heart of our celebrations.” 

 In its role as an EO Ambassador, Gripple has helped many businesses in South Yorkshire, which have been referred from the Ownership Hub, based at SYMCA (South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority) and the EOA. Recently this has included supporting companies such as Airmaster and Galaxy Insulation.  Gripple also supports national businesses, including Go Ape, the outdoors activity company with 34 locations across the UK, which made the transition to EO in 2021.  

The event at Gripple was the culmination of a week of activities, with the EO Day campaign expected to reach over 1m users across social media, making this year’s celebration the biggest ever. This 11th annual EO (Employee Ownership) Day involved thousands of employee owners, businesses and supporters of employee ownership from across the UK joining together to raise awareness of the benefits and impact of employee ownership.

 This year EO Day celebrated employee ownership’s impact on business, the economy and society as a whole, as well as raising awareness of the journey so far and the opportunity to further grow employee ownership. 

This year’s theme for the day is ‘the EO effect’, which focuses on showcasing the benefits of adopting an EO model; employee-owned businesses are often more productive, more resilient and more rooted in their local areas and communities. Employee ownership also promotes investing in the long term and in good job prospects, as well as looking honestly at Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) issues and how best to tackle them.

Gripple currently employs 559 people across seven manufacturing facilities in Sheffield and has over 900 employees globally.  

For more details, visit www.gripple.com.

Ends

Press enquiries: Marina Wood or Sam Royle on 0114 349 5341 or email marina@dragonflypr.co.uk or sam@dragonflypr.co.uk
 
About Gripple
 
Gripple is a market-leading manufacturer of wire joiners and tensioners for agriculture, and suspension solutions for construction.
 
Employing over 900 people across 15 global locations, Gripple is proud to manufacture across six sites in South Yorkshire. Additional sales hubs are located in Chicago, Obernai, Warsaw, Toronto, New Delhi and Kobe. A 100% employee-owned company, Gripple has a unique approach to business, characterised by investment in people, innovation and sustainable growth.
 
About The Ownership Hub
The Ownership Hub is a programme that promotes the adoption of worker and employee ownership across South Yorkshire.
The collaborative partnership between the Employee Ownership Association and Cooperative UK works with the combined local authorities in South Yorkshire and the South Yorkshire Growth Hub to offer businesses support to set up or convert their organisation to worker or employee ownership.
South Yorkshire was the first region to partner and launch their Ownership Hub in the UK and it has recently been announced that the Greater London Authority has followed.
 
Photo shows Left to Right Ed Stubbs, Group MD of Gripple, James de le Vingne – CEO of the EOA, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and Colette Harvey – Partnerships & Communities Manager at the Ownership Hub in South Yorkshire.