Two UK businesses changed hands on 2 November by two different routes. One was a management buyout. The other was a sale to an employee ownership trust.
Together they show the choice many owners now face when they want to hand the business on to the people inside it.
01A management buyout in Leeds
According to TheBusinessDesk, Leeds technology recruiter SPG Resourcing has completed a management buyout. Co-founder Sam Hameed took control of the business from The Solution Performance Group, for an undisclosed sum.
The firm is on track for £5m of revenue this year. It is now targeting £11m within two years, as it expands across the UK and US.
02An employee ownership trust in Hertfordshire
According to Construction Enquirer, the three Bugler brothers have sold their shares in Bugler Group to an employee ownership trust. The Rickmansworth housebuilder reported turnover of £125m for the year to March 2026.
The brothers will stay in their current roles and keep running the business. The firm says the move is designed to secure succession and preserve its independence.
03Management buyout or employee ownership trust: what is the difference?
In a management buyout, the managers buy the shares and own the business. They usually fund it with borrowing, part of the price deferred by the seller and some of their own money.
In an employee ownership trust, a trust holds more than half of the shares for all employees. The company usually pays the seller over time, out of future profits.
The tax picture changed last year. Since 26 November 2025, an owner selling to a trust pays Capital Gains Tax on half of the gain, rather than none.
Neither report named a funder or a price. Both deals are also larger than most of the businesses we work with. The choice they show is the same at any size.
04What it means if your owner is deciding
If you manage a business whose owner is thinking about the future, ask one question early. Does the team want to own the business?
Our guide explains both routes from the management team's side. If the answer is yes, talk to us about business acquisition finance before the owner commits to a route.
