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Designing Ownership: Crawford Architecture Puts Its Future in the Hands of Its People

Author

Miles Mudzviti
April 20, 2025

Scottish architectural firm Crawford Architecture just made a bold design choice of its own — transitioning to employee ownership after nearly four decades as a family-run company.

The firm, founded in 1987 by John Crawford, is now fully owned by its 10 employees through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT)

John’s son Kevin has played a key role in driving the company forward since joining 20 years ago.

He said his father can now look ahead to retirement knowing the future of the company is in place.

He said:

Transitioning to an EOT ensures the practice remains independent and allows our wider team to play a more active role in shaping our future. It’s an exciting time for everyone, and we’re looking forward to continuing our journey with employee ownership at the core of what we do.

Senior architectural technologist Allanah Ogilvie said:

This move means we all have a voice in helping shape the firm’s future. We’re no longer just employees, we’re shaping something we believe in together and all aligned with a shared vision.

Director David Paton has been with the business for more than 20 years. He said:

We’re all invested in its future and that brings a new level of motivation, commitment and drive to ensure continued growth and shared success.

Source: The Courier

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