Smith Myers moves to employee ownership trust

Multi-award-winning cellular communications specialist Smith Myers becomes employee owned recognising the contribution of employees and to support ambitious global market development and new product roll-out in addition to fixed wing and rotary crewed and uncrewed airborne platform solutions

Smith Myers co-founding director Peter Myers (left) and Tony Smith sign up to the Employee Ownership Trust and transfer of controlling shares.

Smith Myers, the UK-based pioneer of global airborne mobile phone detection, location and communications solutions has announced it is now majority owned through an employee ownership trust (EOT).

An EOT is a trust which acquires and holds a controlling interest in a company for the benefit of its employees, without individuals directly owning or having to buy shares.

Founded in 1987 by Tony Smith and Peter Myers, the multi-award-winning innovators have focused on designing disruptive technologyfor Network Operators, Government Agencies, Law Enforcement, Military, and Search and Rescue organisations. The successful business model includes partnering with aircraft and ground-based vehicle OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and integrators, including some of the world’s largest organisations.

Smith Myers ARTEMIS suite of SAR products has been in active service saving lives around the world since 2017 with the lead customer The Royal Norwegian Airforce on their Leonardo AW101 Search & Rescue Helicopter Program. Most recently selected by the UK Maritime Coast Guard Agency under SAR2G, the growing global customer base includes programmes in Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East. The company is proud to partner with world-class organisations including Airbus, Britten Norman, CarteNav, Diamond Aircraft, General Dynamics, Hensoldt, Leonardo, Nova Systems, QinetiQ, Sentient Vision Systems, Shotover Systems, Teledyne, Textron amongst others.

According to co-founder Peter Myers: “It was a logical result of our continued investment in the wealth of talent in the business and was driven by our ambition to remain independent global leaders in an exciting and dynamic technology sector.”

Tony Smith, co-founding director, added: “This exciting new structure places the business in an ideal position to further develop as a world-leading organisation, creating unmatched technology solutions.”

The EO announcement follows the appointment earlier this year of Andrew Munro as Managing Director, and an expanded Board including Simon Alford, Director – Software Architecture; John Gillespie, Director – Test Systems and Production and Nathan Herbert, Director – Hardware Development. Both Peter Myers and Tony Smith continue as directors and shareholders in the business they established.

Postlethwaite solicitors advised the company throughout the transition. Other advisors included the the Employee Ownership Association.

About: Smith Myers Communications Ltd is an award-winning UK company specialising in the design, development, manufacture and support of application specific cellular network and handset capabilities for Network Operators, Government Agencies, Law Enforcement, Military, and Search and Rescue organisations. Awards include the Royal Aeronautical Society Silver Medal; ADS Security Innovation Awards, British Engineering Excellence Award, and ICCA (International Critical Communications) Award.