As of last week Stiller Group has sold off its training academy to the management and staff. The MD of the newly coined Evolution Learning, John Craig, says Stiller could no longer justify the extra investment it would require.
The organisation will remain on the Stiller site at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and will continue to train Stiller staff. MD Paul Stiller remains a shareholder. "I believe Paul was disappointed that it could not remain in-house. However, the plan was always for the academy to stand on its own and he is still supportive," says Craig.
Stiller Group diversified in many directions before the recession, including an interest in an environmental consultancy. Paul Stiller recently told Motor Transport that he was stripping the business back, to focus on core and higher margin work. It was investing approximately £200,000 a year in the academy.
Craig says the training organisation had not failed financially. "We were at break even, but it would have required further investment to take it to the next level as an independent third party trainer.
"The MBO gives us new investment. It also means we can sell more effectively to other transport companies now we are not part of the Stiller brand."
He says the company does a lot of work for the Learning and Skills Council and will package the Corporate Leadership programme it created for Stiller Group for new clients.
