THE benefits of employee ownership have been highlighted by the county’s MSP following a visit to a local business.

Paul McLennan, East Lothian MSP, stopped off at Jerba Campervans, based at Halfland Barns, near North Berwick.

The business, which specialises in converting Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 models, was co-founded by Simon Poole and employs 14 members of staff, who all share the company profits.

Inspired by a presentation given by Mr Poole in front of a panel of cross-party MSPs at Holyrood, Mr McLennan, who is also a councillor for the Dunbar and East Linton ward, was eager to learn more about the employee-owned firm and the way the business is run.

Mr McLennan said: “I was so impressed by Simon’s presentation at Holyrood earlier this year that I wanted to visit the Jerba workshop to learn more about the team, and how employee ownership works for them.

“From my visit I could see everyone at Jerba is functioning as a cohesive and productive unit, who have a real sense of pride in their work.

“It is obvious to me that, when implemented correctly, employee ownership can provide immense job satisfaction and growth opportunities for small and larger national firms alike.

“The idea of every employee having tangible investment in their company or firm is a model worth exploring, and I intend to bring my findings to Parliament to discuss with my peers.”

Employee ownership gives staff a stake in the business and an active say in how it is run.

Jerba Campervans made the switch to the business model in 2018, and has enjoyed an increase year-on-year in productivity following the move.

Mr Poole said: “While we already possessed a dedicated and motivated staff base, the accountability generated from our move to employee ownership has definitely motivated everyone to push on and deliver even better service for our customers.

“It’s really positive to see figures in Government taking a real interest in the way we do things.”