OakNorth completes first ever Employee Ownership Trust transaction with loan to Manchester-based Crookes Walker Consulting.
OakNorth Bank, the bank for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, has provided a business loan to Crookes Walker Consulting (“CWC”) to support the creation of an Employee Ownership Trust.
The founders, Paul Crookes and Dave Walker, will sell 100% of their shareholding into the Trust, but will continue to be involved in the day-to-day running of the business. The Board of directors will remain unchanged with Chris Skinner as CEO, Andy Ringland as CTO, and Steve Plant as CFO. The Board will work with the Trust to deliver continued growth and development, as well as safeguarding the ethos and core values that underpin the business. The new structure will allow all CWC employees to share in the business’ success, as well as having more influence over the way the business is run.
About Crookes Walker Consulting: Founded in Manchester in 2004 by Dave Walker and Paul Crookes, CWC is now one of the largest independent mechanical and electrical engineering consultancies in the North West, with over 50 employees across offices in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. It provides engineering consulting services across a number of sectors, including residential, commercial, hospitality, education, and infrastructure. The key services it provides include building design services, planning support, digital engineering, MEP surveys and energy modelling. Over two thirds of the business’ revenue comes from renovations and existing building refurbishment projects – many of which are being driven by the need for tenanted properties to reach a minimum EPC rating of C by 2025.