June 2022 - Scitech

Today marks Employee Ownership Day – the national celebration of employee ownership and the chance to raise awareness of the positive impact of employee ownership (EO). At Scitech, in our 20th anniversary year, we are not only celebrating our status as an employee-owned company, but we are also celebrating the 10th anniversary of becoming employee owned.

We believe employee ownership makes Scitech a special place to work, bringing benefits to everyone who works at the company which, in turn, ensures we can deliver successful projects for our clients.

Being employee-owned means that everyone has a say via our employee forums, and we all share our success across the business.

How does employee ownership work at Scitech?

We retain management and board structures along with associated reporting lines, as employee owners we are not involved in every decision. However, we all have a say on the decisions that impact us. With no external owners, shareholders, or investors, we are in control of our own destiny. We all share in the success and profits of the business and decide how to re-invest or distribute any surpluses.

This has a positive impact on the ethos of the company, creating a sense of empowerment and ownership in everyone, regardless of their level of seniority.

Dave Grant, Managing Director at Scitech, explains: “One of the aims of the original owners of Scitech was that ownership and control would always remain within Scitech. As the company evolved and some of the original owners retired or moved on, this became more difficult. So, in 2012, to ensure that ownership continued to be held by our employees, the Scitech Employee Ownership Trust was established. Ten years later, I feel that everyone would agree that it contributes to achieving a great company culture and in making Scitech a special place to work.”

Scitech will be celebrating 10 years of employee ownership and 20 years of Scitech with a special event for staff in July. Keep an eye out for updates via our LinkedIn account.

You can find out more about Scitech’s history on our ‘Who we are’ page on our website and about employee-ownership on the Employee Ownership Association website.

In 2002, a group of like-minded specialists in the design, engineering and construction industry took the leap and formed Scitech. Their vision was to create a company that was at the cutting edge of engineering solutions targeted specifically at the pharmaceutical and life science sectors. They sought freedom and had a desire for flexibility to provide innovative solutions that serviced the bespoke needs of their customers focused on delivering results and making a difference.

Twenty years on their mission still holds true and their small team has grown substantially with colleagues based across the breadth of the UK and beyond.

Scitech have established offices in Antwerp, Cardiff and have custom built a head office in Godalming, Surrey. Scitech’s reach now extends beyond the pharmaceutical and life science sector to include many other sectors that also depend on highly regulated and controlled R&D manufacturing processes.

To mark its 20th year, Scitech’s employees share their memories and reflect on what they feel makes Scitech unique.

Nicola Hale (South East Operations Manager) one of the founding members of Scitech, said: “We set up Scitech because we wanted to do interesting work, enjoy our work and be in charge of our destiny. The company has grown but that mentality is still very much there. It is helping us to attract the type of people who like tackling novel challenges and finding solutions that make a difference to our clients. I love that we can work with small start-ups and see that we are really adding value – it’s very rewarding.”

Duncan Sansom, Construction Operations Manager, has worked with Scitech for 18 years. He added: “Scitech has always had a ‘can-do’ attitude. We are fortunate enough to work in cutting edge sectors with numerous experts in their field, making the whole project (concept to construction and validation) a challenging and rewarding experience. The family atmosphere within Scitech has allowed me to progress from joining as a civil engineer to a construction manager, project manager and now my current role. All in-house departments work together to deliver excellent projects for our clients meaning I have been able to maintain many long-term relationships with clients and colleagues within Scitech.”

Greg Barthram, a recent employee to join Scitech as an Electrical Engineer said: “I was attracted to Scitech when I read about the company’s values – the attraction was immediate. Employee wholeness and employee happiness in turn provide for better customer service, so it’s a win-win for me. I love innovative approaches and Scitech’s results speak for themselves. Companies who trust their employees matter a great deal to me, and the opportunity to set my own work-life balance is immense.”

Scitech prides itself on ensuring the health and happiness of its employees, and their families, through a combination of flexible working practices and well-being support initiatives. As a 100% employee-owned company, it also fosters a culture of participation, transparency and engagement with employees having a say in how the company is run via its Employee Owners Forum.

Emma Dawas, HR Manager, said: “Employee Ownership (EO) is all about collective responsibility – we all strive to create a working environment where people feel fulfilled and rewarded. Our positive ‘EO’ culture is one of main reasons we have such motivated, happy staff.”

Find out more about Scitech and what career opportunities are available.

Month: June 2022

Double the celebrations as Scitech marks Employee Ownership Day 2022

Celebrating 20 years of Scitech