A company which helps clients prepare multi-million pound pitches has joined the growing ranks of firms moving over to staff ownership.
Eyeful Presentations, which is based in the village of Croft in Leicestershire, works with companies on anything from bid applications to sales and marketing pitches, internal presentations, awards ceremonies and training meetings.
It was launched by managing director Simon Morton in 2004 after he saw that the business world was collapsing under the weight of bullet points and what he called “clichéd clipart”.
Most of the work is based around making Powerpoint presentations as structured and as clear as possible, and clients include start-ups right through to big accounting firms. Turnover is now in seven figures.
Mr Morton said that on September 1 he will sell the company into a new trust run on behalf of its employees.
He said: “It means that Eyeful Presentations will be run by its employees for its employees.
“We think this is great news for our people, customers and the local community.
“We’re a significant global player in a niche sector. From our offices in Croft, we help huge international brands tell their stories better through our bespoke consultancy, design and training services.
Most Read
“This means that senior leaders from the likes of Adobe, Bayer and Microsoft are either visiting our Croft-based ‘Presentation Campus’ or engaging with our 30-strong team online from across the world.
“So our small local business is having an impact across the globe, be that directly or through our internationally successful book – The Presentation Lab, published in five different languages.
“Our success over the last 17-and-a-half years has been down to the hard work, innovation and good humour of our remarkable team.
“The time is now right to formally hand over the reins and the ownership of this amazing business to the people who have worked so hard to make it such a special place.”
The move to an employee ownership trust (EOT) means Eyeful will follow in the footsteps of companies such as John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Aardman Animation.
Operations director Lloyd Carter said: “There were many compelling reasons for going down the EOT route.
“But perhaps the biggest was Simon’s commitment to protect the incredible culture and people within the business.
Don’t miss
“The traditional routes of a trade sale or PE-backed management buy-out could have put this under pressure.
“Instead, this keeps our people front and centre – they have been key to Eyeful’s success to date and, now as an employee-owned business, they will see the rewards of their remarkable skills and hard work.”
Commercial director Luke Riordan said: “We’ve shared the news of the business transitioning to employee ownership with a handful of clients, and they are all extremely excited about it.
“They know that the Eyeful colleagues they rely on will be even more committed to the success of their project and, ultimately, the success of their own business. It’s a real win-win.”
Sign up for your free East Midlands newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn
Email newsletters
BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the East Midlands including Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates.
We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away.
For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our