A Perth publishing firm has moved into employee ownership in a bid to safeguard jobs in the city.
Prepress Projects, based at Algo Business Centre, has transitioned into an employee ownership trust model.
The firm joins over 140 employee-owned businesses in Scotland.
It was founded in 1991 by Helen and David MacDonald, and provides writing, editing, layout and related services to publishers and public sector organisations worldwide.
Employee ownership protecting employees
Managing director Lucy Harrier said the move will secure the future of Prepress Projects as an independent company and allow it to continue to serve its clients while safeguarding jobs in Perth.
She said: “The transition to employee ownership is the right decision to protect the long-term future of Prepress Projects and its employees here in Perth.
“We are committed to providing first-class publishing services to our clients, and employee ownership allows us the stability and long-term security to continue to do that.
“We value our employees highly and we want to reward the people who make our business work through their hard work and dedication.
“Employee ownership allows all our staff to benefit from the company’s success.”
The firm currently has 22 employees.
‘The right way to go’
Since Prepress Projects celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016, owners Helen and David have laid plans for the firms succession.
While they are stepping back from managing the business, Helen remains on the board as editorial director.
She wrote on the firm’s website that she knows Prepress Projects is in good hands.
Helen said: “We were keen to ensure that the company would continue to exist long after we retired or otherwise took a step back.
“We have, of course, considered other options in the meantime, for example a commercial sale of the company or a management buyout. We even received, and declined, an unsolicited offer to buy the business.
“However, we instinctively felt that employee ownership was the right way to go for an enterprise such as ours.
“We set about ensuring that we had the people, systems and organisational structure in place to make it a success.
Congratulations to Lucy, one of our Project Editors, who has achieved her ILM Level 3 Award in Coaching. Rachel from @rowanconsult presented Lucy's certificate today – and Lucy gave her a wee thank-you gift too: a Moominhouse mug with a little roof!#PrepressPeople #coaching pic.twitter.com/LF4nx7oDCT
— Prepress Projects (@prepressperth) June 23, 2022
“Trading conditions for all businesses are some of the most demanding that I’ve seen since starting the company over 30 years ago.
“We continue, however, to renew existing contracts as well as win new ones, including in recent months in countries outside our traditional European marketplace.
“We may be a small business, but we have become truly global in reach.”
Prepress Projects joins Perth firm Merlin ERD and in-flight catering firm Fresh-Jet in employee ownership.
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