I am delighted to have become a part-owner in the business alongside our knowledgeable and experienced team, who I believe provide a best-in-class service to our customers.” “ We are all looking forward to the future with excitement and confidence and to helping many more people deal with their debt issues in a practical and compassionate manner .”

Neil McInnes, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance in Scotland at Grant Thornton said:

“We have been working with the business to help them consider the range of strategic options open to them.” “Ultimately the best option for all stakeholders was to move to employee ownership via an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), which gives the entire team a stake in its future success and provides a great incentive for staff loyalty.” “We are seeing an increasing number of profitable mid-sized companies looking at EOT as an option. For exiting shareholders it can be an attractive alternative to the more traditional trade sale or private equity process, and allows the business to continue to thrive in the safe hands of the incumbent team.” “We wish Thomas and the whole team at Harper McDermott every success in the future.”