A campervan converter has won the First Minister’s Award for Manufacturing Leadership to celebrate excellence and innovation and for its outstanding efforts in employee engagement and welfare. 

Jerba Campervans, a fully employee-owned company based in North Berwick, founded by husband and wife team Simon and Cath Poole, received the award at Bute House.

The company specialises in converting and customising Volkswagen Transporter vans. The judges and the First Minister felt it best exemplified the purpose of the Award, particularly its employee owned status to foster a participative and inclusive work culture.

As well as its 100% employee-owned credentials, Jerba Campervans has recently joined The Good Business Charter which measures and recognises responsible business practices through components such as employee wellbeing.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “All of the applications received for the Award were of a very high standard. However, with their responsive employee driven approach, Jerba Campervans best exemplified the ethos of the award.

“In demonstrating how a productive and growing company can at the same time offer real benefits to staff, community and the environment, they clearly demonstrated the principle that business for good is good for business.”

Mr Poole, said: “It is a great privilege for Jerba Campervans to have been recognised in such a high-profile way.

“To be rewarded for the work we are doing is very humbling and this achievement marks a really fantastic opportunity for both the company and employee ownership as a whole.

“We believe that staff are at the heart of any business and we hope that winning this award will open even more doors for us as we continue to highlight the advantages of employee ownership.”

The First Minister’s Award for Manufacturing Leadership is supported by National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), a £75 million Scottish Government investment into Scotland’s manufacturing future. The successful business must demonstrate how it has achieved inclusive and sustainable growth, receiving extra support and advice in return

It is delivered in partnership with Making Scotland’s Future, Scotland’s framework for manufacturing excellence, and Scotland CAN B, the Scottish Government’s national programme supporting business as a force for good.