Case Study: JP Hildreth

Small Yet Highly Specialised

JP Hildreth, a small yet highly specialised engineering consultancy, is proving that size is no barrier to impact. 

Known for its innovative mindset and no-nonsense delivery in manufacturing environments, the company has flourished without losing its competitive edge since becoming employee owned.

With a client list that includes some of the most well-known food and pharmaceutical manufacturers globally, JP Hildreth helps businesses improve operational efficiency through advanced engineering consultancy and project management.  

Behind that success is a unique culture that puts simplicity, clarity, and integrity at its core, and now, one shaped and strengthened by employee ownership.

Preserving Values, Building the Future

The business transitioned to employee ownership with a clear mission from founder Jon Hildreth: to secure the company’s independence, protect its values, and ensure long-term sustainability. 

“As a small and niche consultancy, we needed a way to prevent external buyouts that might not align with our culture,” Jon explained. EO offered the answer.

Now retired as Managing Director, Jon remains involved as a Trustee, supporting the business’s strategic direction while handing day-to-day leadership to Dominic Jenkins and Thomas Hill, who together represent a new generation committed to the company’s founding principles.

A Rising Star in the EO Landscape

Since transitioning to EO, JP Hildreth has seen clear and measurable benefits. Growth in turnover has reached 85%, while the number of full-time equivalents across both employees and associates has grown by 90%. 

Profit-sharing has been achieved in both years since the transition and employee engagement metrics have markedly improved.

In 2023, 64% of employees said they were proud to work at JP Hildreth. One year later, that figure had risen to nearly 80%. Perhaps more telling, employee belief in EO itself has more than doubled: from 32% to 65.2% reporting that it had a positive impact on their experience at work.

“Being employee owned ensures that every team member has a stake in our success,” says Sarah Langer, People & Recruitment Lead. “Our values remain at the core of everything we do, creating a workplace where every voice matters and every contribution counts.”

Employee Ownership in Action

Far from accidental, this progress stems from a deliberate and evolving EO strategy focused on inclusion, communication, and continuous improvement.

Initially, monthly EO meetings were remote and company-wide, but feedback showed this format limited engagement. The business adapted. Today, meetings are held in person at each site where possible, with local EOT champions feeding insights to an elected representative, who takes those forward to the board. Quarterly full-team meetings bring everyone together, ensuring a loop of transparency and ownership.

The company has also co-created its own EOT Purpose Statement:

‘To trust to deliver a common goal to build a thriving company generating shared profit which everyone wants to be part of.’

Developed collectively, the statement reflects the organisation's evolving identity and serves as a living document for strategic alignment.

Embedding Values, Investing in People

JP Hildreth builds values into everything it does. Through a collaborative, multi-stage process, employees developed clear, shared definitions of its three core values:

• Simplicity: Delivering effective, accessible solutions for clients and colleagues alike.
• Clarity: Using transparent communication and action to drive success.
• Integrity: Keeping promises, acting ethically, and building trust internally and externally.

This shared value base is now used in recruitment, onboarding, and client communications, reinforcing the consistency and quality the company is known for.

The company has also significantly increased investment in both employee training and benefits. In 2023/24, £42,300 was spent on training (up from £16,500 the previous year), with a forecast of £55,000 in 2024/25, covering both technical and leadership development. Benefits spending is expected to rise from £32,000 to £75,000, reflecting a collaboratively agreed package that balances financial constraints with employee priorities.

“Our approach as an EOT is to engage the whole team, as much as possible and as widely as possible,” says Managing Director Dominic Jenkins. “I believe that this diversity of thoughts and ideas drives us to thrive in an ever more complex competitive environment.”

Purpose, Profit, and Progress

Employee ownership has changed not just how JP Hildreth works, but how it thinks. It has enabled team members at all levels to shape the future of the company, from benefit structures to community partnerships. It has also created space for more structured reflection and collaboration, such as at the annual away day, where EO members jointly set company goals and improvement initiatives for the year ahead.

Ultimately, the model has brought cohesion and clarity to a growing, increasingly complex business. A team-oriented structure. A culture of accountability. And a shared commitment to long-term success.

JP Hildreth may be considered a small business, but it’s showing how EO can deliver big.