The Tool Connection, including Laser Tools, announcesmove to become Employee-Owned Trust

The Tool Connection, including the Laser Tools brand, has officially become an M.T.S. Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) - a significant milestone in the company's 50-year history that secures its future as an independent, employee-owned business.

Launched on 2nd June 2026, the Trust now holds a controlling share hold in the Southam based company on behalf of its employees, ensuring ownership remains focused on the long-term success of the business and the people who help drive it forward every day.

The move to becoming an EOT comes during a landmark year for The Tool Connection, as it celebrates its 50-year business anniversary. Founded by Martin Smith in 1976, the company has grown from humble beginnings selling kindling at local markets into one of the UK's leading suppliers of professional automotive and workshop tools, employing more than 158 people across its Southam headquarters and Sheffield manufacturing operation.

The move to employee ownership fulfils a vision held by Martin Smith for many years.

Eddie Altham, Tool Connection Managing Director, said: "Martin always believed that the people who helped build the company should share in its future.

“The Employee Ownership Trust allows us to honour that vision while continuing to invest, innovate and grow for the long term.

“The launch of the M.T.S. Employee Ownership Trust is a landmark moment for The Tool Connection. Employee ownership protects the independence of the business, preserves the culture that has made us successful and ensures our employees remain at the heart of everything we do.”

For The Tool Connection, the launch of the M.T.S. Employee Ownership Trust is more than a change in ownership structure; it represents the continuation of a legacy built on innovation, investment, loyalty and long-term thinking, ensuring the business remains strong, independent and employee-owned for generations to come.

A special launch event to mark the official beginning of the EOT brought together employees from across the organisation to celebrate the occasion and learn more about the future of the business under employee ownership.

Employees were introduced to a new company-funded private medical insurance scheme through Vitality. The benefit was announced as part of the EOT launch and reflected Martin Smith's long-held belief in investing in the people behind the business.

As part of the new governance structure, representatives from across the business, alongside management and independent trustees, will help oversee the Trust on behalf of employees.

Over the past year alone, the company has continued to invest in warehouse expansion plans, manufacturing facilities, technology systems, stockholding, apprenticeships and sustainability initiatives. Looking ahead, The Tool Connection expects 2026 to become the largest investment year in its history, with planned investment of between £6 million and £7 million across the business.