Staff at one of the North West’s most successful marketing agencies are celebrating today, after the company became an Employee Owned business earlier this year. As part of the move, Zircom’s employees became co-owners of the business, able to share in profits and provide direct influence in the running of the company.
Zircom has been working with national and international B2B brands since 1999, when John-Paul Simpson, now Chairman, founded the agency. Two decades later, John-Paul and the Board have made the decision to adopt the “John Lewis model” of ownership to provide a sustainable basis for future growth and personal development.
“I started the agency in 1999 during the ups and downs of the dot-com era” said John-Paul Simpson, “and two decades later we have a fantastic team committed to growing the business and I want them to share in the success they create for clients and own and shape the future of Zircom. I’m excited to see where the business, guided by a strengthened Board and Trust, goes from here”.
The external recognition of shared ownership takes place on June 29th, scheduled to coincide with UK Employee Ownership Day – a national event run by the Employee Ownership Association (EOA), to celebrate the growing trend for employee-owned businesses.
To mark the next step in the Zircom journey, the team are having a “Taking Ownership” day, including refreshing their workspace to create a more unified, team layout, and donating furniture and equipment to their chosen charity: the YMCA, in Prenton, Wirral.
Managing Director Tim Newton explained: “With the business entering its next chapter, now is the perfect time to take stock, and to make sure our workspace helps people feel comfortable, creative and connected to their business. Now that the whole team co-owns the business, it’s up to all of us to decide what that means for how we act, how we think, and how we work”.
Client Relationship Director, Clare Ridding, who advises clients, “By giving our employees a greater stake in the future of Zircom, we can build on our reputation for excellent work and happy, passionate and dedicated staff,” said Clare. “We’ve always been proud to have a team that cares about our clients and about each other, and by putting “ownership” at the heart of our business, we can continue delivering high quality, creative solutions for clients for years to come”
