Scottish vet practice now owned by its ‘extremely talented’ 65-strong team
“The decision to pursue employee ownership was fundamental to protecting our ethos and the quality of care we provide” – Mark Pearson, veterinary surgeon and director
Moray Coast Vets is now owned by its 65-strong team, after becoming the latest Scottish business to switch to employee ownership.
The veterinary group has spent more than four decades serving communities, pets and commercial livestock across Moray and a large part of the Scottish Highlands. It has entered a new era by transferring ownership to an employee ownership trust (EOT).
The move coincides with the practice becoming the 70th member of XLVets, which is a community of independently owned veterinary practices.
Moray Coast Vets’ 18 vets are supported by a dedicated team of nursing and client care coordinators. The shares will now be held in trust for the entire team.
Operating from two practices in Nairn and Forres, supported by consulting branches in Lossiemouth and Balloch, the group provides an extensive mix of small animal, farm and occasional exotics work.
Mark Pearson, veterinary surgeon and director, said: “The decision to pursue employee ownership was fundamental to protecting our ethos and the quality of care we provide. We knew that remaining independent mattered to our clients, our team and our local community.
“For us, making our whole team stakeholders in our business, was the most sustainable way to preserve our culture, long-term goals and clinical autonomy.”
Pearson joined the practice in 2008 after relocating from Cheshire for the outdoor lifestyle that he could enjoy in the Highlands, and he now leads the business alongside fellow director and vet Jamie Mclaren.
The pair had both been shareholders in the business prior to the EOT transition and continue to work as vets and directors, alongside practice managers Debbie Reid and Rachel Finlayson, who also play a vital role on the management board.
Mclaren, who has been with Moray Coast Vets since the mid-2000s, said: “Our people are invested, literally and figuratively, in the future of the practice due to the EOT model. They have a clear voice, a sense of shared responsibility and a genuine stake in how we move forward. That creates a level of cohesion and motivation that is difficult to replicate under other ownership structures.
“Employee ownership aligns with the nature of our mixed practice caseload,” he added. “We have an extremely talented team who can turn their hand to everything, from farm visits and beef suckler herd work to small animal surgery and complex cases.
“Maintaining that breadth of expertise is only possible in an environment where people feel supported, valued and able to grow.”
The seasonality of farm work combined with rising small animal demand has enabled the practice to grow its team whilst offering mixed, farm-only and small-animal-only career pathways.
Andrew Curwen, chief executive at XLVets, said: “It’s a joy to welcome the Moray team into the XLVets community. There can be no doubt that practices that are owned and run by people who live within their local communities, and who work cooperatively with other like-minded professionals, can shine as valuable beacons of credibility, capability, integrity and worth.”
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