A TEAM of IT specialists liked the companythey worked for so much, that they have bought it, reports NadiaJefferson-Brown.

It was a bold step, but staff atCarnforth-based Savant were determined to keep the north Lancashire townas the base for the software company, and have successfully ensured theirfutures remain rooted in the area.

After approaching thePreston-based Lancashire Co-operative Development Agency for advice, staffhave established an employee ownership scheme and the company is now inthe hands of an employee benefit trust (EBT).

Managingdirector Ian Henderson said that meant employees could now share in thebenefits of their work, which involves building specialist databases andoffering maintenance support.

"We're a software company; theassets of this company are the staff.

It seemed right thateverybody should share in the rewards of what we are doing," said MrHenderson.

"If we can get the message out to staff that theyare working for themselves and not the boss, and also see continuingprofitability, it will have been a success," he added.

Projectmanager Stephen Edge added that there was now "a shared vision of goalsfor the company".

As part of the venture, staff have nowappointed an elected man-agement team and launched the new operation fromits New Street offices.

Pete Gregg, a software engineer andemployee representative director, explained that a London-based companyhad been keen on taking over Savant when its founding owners retired, andstaff had been concerned they may

have been asked tomove.

However, with the establishment of the EBT, companyprofits over the coming three years will be used to

buy outJohn and Margot Collins, of Barbon, who originally set up the company in1979.

Mr Gregg stressed it was now important to maintain thetrust staff had placed in the management team, and he said the real testof profitability would be in the next financial year.

TheCarnforth company, which has 31 employees, boasts an impressive list ofclients.

This includes the National Blood Service, after thecompany won a contract in 1996 to run its core computer system, which hasa database of more than a billion records and is growing at a rate ofeight million a week.

The information includes donor records,details of blood tests and store management.

Later, in 1999,Savant was voted overall winner in the prestigious Health Care ITEffectiveness Awards.

Stephen Edge, project manager, is incharge of some of Savant's other major projects, such as a contract

to run the British Medical Association's subscription servicefor the British Medical Journal.

"This is a very significantproject, obviously high profile, because it can't afford to go wrong," hesaid.

"It is vital that the journals don't go out late; thatmedical information is disseminated as quickly as possible," headded.

Other contracts are with the Government-funded Careersand Education Business Partnership in Birmingham and Clatterbridge Centrefor Oncology.