Pacy & Wheatley Becomes Employee Owned
Posted on 19 January 2026
A New Chapter in a Proud 55 Year Legacy
There are moments in a company's life that define its future. For Pacy & Wheatley, that moment arrived this year with the decision to become employee-owned.
Based in Doncaster, the business has spent more than half a century shaping the built environment of the United Kingdom. What began in 1968 with John Pacy and Dave Wheatley fitting wardrobes and refurbishing homes has grown into a respected national group delivering complex projects across care, commercial, and residential sectors.
The company's story has always been about steady growth, trusted relationships, and pride in craftsmanship. It has never been built on headlines or hype, but on reputation earned over time. Every building tells part of that story, from large-scale construction work to the finely detailed interiors that turn a structure into a living space.
As the business expanded, three specialist divisions emerged, each carrying the same values into a different craft.
- The Pacy & Wheatley Construction team manages major projects across the UK, combining practical experience with a commitment to safety, sustainability, and quality.
- The Pacy & Wheatley Interiors division creates high-quality interior environments for retailers, hospitals, and commercial clients, translating vision into form and finish.
- And the Pacy & Wheatley Acoustics specialists design and install innovative acoustic solutions for global brands, ensuring performance spaces, studios, and workplaces sound as good as they look.
Together, these divisions form one integrated company that still holds to the founding belief that buildings are about people first.
Following the passing of co-founder and Chairman Dave Wheatley in 2023, his sons Anthony Wheatley, Group Managing Director, and Craig Wheatley, Group Director, considered how best to honour that belief while protecting the independence of the business. Their answer was to place ownership directly into the hands of the employees who make it all possible.
"Our dad built this business on integrity, craftsmanship, and care for people," said Anthony Wheatley. "Moving to employee ownership ensures those values stay at the heart of everything we do. It is not an exit, it is a commitment to the future."
Craig Wheatley added, "Our people have always been at the heart of this business. They built it, they sustain it, and now they own it."
The creation of an Employee Ownership Trust secures the company's culture and long-term direction. Every member of staff now has a voice in how the organisation moves forward, encouraging shared responsibility and pride in every project delivered.
Jack Ware, Corporate Finance Director at Hawsons in Doncaster, Sheffield and Northampton, who advised on the transition, said that the process reflected the group's character perfectly.
"We were delighted to support Pacy & Wheatley through this change. Their strong culture and family values made employee ownership a natural fit. It preserves what makes them distinctive and gives their people a real say in the company's future."
Employee ownership is becoming a powerful movement across the UK, chosen by many firms as a way to reward loyalty, strengthen continuity, and protect the human side of business. For Pacy & Wheatley, it feels less like a shift in structure and more like a continuation of what has always mattered most.
As the company looks ahead, the same hands that build, design, and deliver its projects will now also help shape its direction. It is a fitting evolution for a business that has always believed success is shared.
To learn more about Pacy & Wheatley Group visit the group websites:
