Author: Mike Brady
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ESOPs as Vehicles for Growth, The Acquisition Opportunity in 2026
For decades, ESOPs have been framed primarily as a succession solution, a thoughtful and values-aligned exit for retiring founders. That narrative is no longer complete. As we move into 2026, employee-owned companies are increasingly being recognized not just as responsible stewards of legacy businesses, but as engines for growth, disciplined capital allocators, and credible, competitive…
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Employee Ownership Comes to Fast Company
Sometimes the big solutions are the ones we overlook because they seem almost too obvious. Fast Company featured a piece by Mike Brady of 40 Million Owners that asks a simple question: if employee ownership keeps building wealth, strengthening companies, and creating stability, why aren’t we scaling it everywhere? The article underscores what many of…
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Expanding Employee Ownership Through Acquisitions
The podcast episode explores the story behind the creation of 40 Million Owners and highlights how the firm expands the capabilities of ESOPs by giving them the strategic and operational support needed to pursue M&A with confidence and clarity.
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Acquisitions Take Center Stage at Employee Owned 2025
The Employee Owned 2025 conference made one thing abundantly clear: acquisitions have moved from a niche strategic option to a core topic for ESOP leaders. With seven dedicated sessions exploring various aspects of ESOP acquisitions, the conference reflected a fundamental shift in how employee-owned companies view growth and sustainability. From Peripheral to Essential Acquisitions are…
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How Smart ESOPs Link Repurchase Planning with Acquisition-Driven Growth
An ESOP repurchase obligation forecast is a long-term projection of the cash required to meet the plan’s distribution commitments in accordance with its policy on timing, form, and method. At its best, it serves as a framework for sustaining the company’s financial health and long-term viability. Too often, however, repurchase obligation studies can be treated…
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40 Million Owners has joined 3LS, Inc.
3LS, Inc., an employee-owned family of companies, announced today that it acquired 40 Million Owners to join its growing 3LS Professional Services division. 3LS is a rapidly growing ESOP holding company of 18 employee-owned companies, unified in their mission to empower good, with nearly 700 employees and five offices across the U.S. The 40 Million…
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Target Selection: The Strategic Foundation of ESOP Growth Through Acquisition
Acquisitions carry high stakes for any business, but for employee-owned companies, the stakes are even higher. Every acquisition decision directly affects employees, shaping their retirement wealth, career opportunities, and sense of ownership. A well-chosen target accelerates growth and strengthens culture, while a poorly chosen one can erode trust and weaken the ownership model itself. Target…
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Making Employee Ownership the Norm
40 Million Owners has joined the Expanding ESOPs coalition to promote employee ownership as a standard practice in the U.S. The coalition, comprising over 80 organizations, aims to enhance policies and outreach for employee stock ownership. Their efforts focus on creating strategic acquisition frameworks that strengthen the ownership culture and expand employee benefits widely.
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Rethinking the Exit: Why Selling to an ESOP-Owned Buyer Might Be the Best Deal You Haven’t Considered
At 40 Million Owners, we’ve built our advisory platform around a simple but powerful idea: employee-owned companies should be active, strategic acquirers. When an ESOP acquires a privately held business, it doesn’t just drive growth—it expands the circle of ownership to workers who might never otherwise have access to equity. That’s why we’re so pleased…
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Offense is the Best Defense: Why ESOPs Need an M&A Playbook Now
Employee-owned companies can capitalize on a dynamic small business M&A market and use acquisitions to compete, grow, and fulfill their fiduciary duty. Small businesses that employ tens of millions of American workers will sell to new owners this decade, creating both a risk and an unprecedented opportunity to transition these businesses to long-term, sustainable ownership…
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