Wetrooms International becomes employee owned

Scottish-based supplier of PVC bathroom ceiling and wall panels Wetrooms International Group has completed a deal to become employee owned.

09 Jun, 25

Scottish-based supplier of PVC bathroom ceiling and wall panels Wetrooms International Group has completed a deal to become employee owned.

Wetrooms International becomes employee owned

Brothers Brian and Bill Crombie founded the business, in 2005, at Rutherglen near Glasgow and have retained a 26% share.

They will continue to play key roles in the business, as it develops as an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) with growth ambitions.

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The business is set to expand its Ceiling2Floor store network with its 14th branch set to open in Carlisle, Cumbria.

It also has plans to grow its Wetrooms Distribution operation, supplying merchants in the UK and Ireland.

Wetrooms International, which claims to have introduced the first 100% waterproof hollow core PVC WidePanel to the UK market, employs around 80 staff.

This includes production, quality control and logistics in China, led by Danny Song.

The move comes at a time when Wetrooms International has grown sales by 20%, during the first quarter of 2025, reaching at £20m annual turnover.

Commenting on the EOT decision, Brian Crombie said: “For us, this is about building a legacy for the team, recognising the loyalty of our staff.

“Becoming an EOT was the logical step for us to take. It makes sense for everyone.

“Most of our staff have been with us for a long time and we have a great management team.”

He continued: “I’m 73 and Bill is 71. We’ve ambitious plans for the business while naturally also considering what work looks like for us in the longer term.

“We’ve had approaches but didn’t like the idea of a trade sale, putting the team in the hands of someone who might not understand our unique ethos. Our team deserves better.

“Becoming an EOT opens opportunities for our people, to develop their careers, brings benefits to us and provides a level of comfort and confidence to the staff, suppliers and customers we work with that Bill and I are still here. It’s the ideal fit”, he added.

The brothers have worked together for the past 50 years, previously establishing Showerwall before its sale to the St Gobain Group in 2007.

Bill Crombie said: “The business is in a real period of growth with huge potential to expand significantly over the next five years. We have the right team in place to achieve that.”

Wetrooms International was guided through the transition to EOT by Ownership Associates, with assistance from Reference Point Advisory and legal advice from Lindsays.