Gripple site manager, David Wroe, regarded as a ‘go to’ person and a true champion of employee-ownership, was crowned Employee Owner of the Year in the latest UK Employee Ownership Association’s (EOA) awards scheme, sponsored by its leading member Baxendale.
David joined Gripple as engineering team leader 19 years ago and became one of the first employee representatives when the company became fully employee-owned four years later.
He has taken the knowledge gained in various roles and is now site manager at one of the company’s four Sheffield sites, Riverside.
This is where he has applied the Gripple spirit, values and set of behaviours to drive the essence of employee-ownership and empower the 100 people for whom he is responsible, part of the 1000-strong Gripple global workforce who have now produced 80 million Gripple wire joiners.
Deb Oxley OBE, EOA chief executive: “David inspires, supports and empowers his fellow Gripple owners to drive performance. He is an exemplar who lives the key values of Gripple’s employee-ownership model.
"He puts everything into giving staff, both on the factory floor and in the offices, a sense of purpose and a voice. Most importantly they understand how and what they do can affect the bottom line of the business to great effect."
