Category: M&A
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CEO Peer Network Working Session
Most ESOP CEOs are closer to their first acquisition than they think. They just do not know where to start, and many do not have a peer group that has been through it. On June 8, Mike Brady, CEO and Co-founder of 40 Million Owners, will be leading an NCEO CEO Peer Network session designed…
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Building the Future of Employee Ownership Through Acquisition
Most people still think of employee ownership as a succession strategy. We do not. At 40 Million Owners, we believe employee ownership is one of the most underutilized growth strategies in the American economy. Over the next twenty years, millions of business owners will retire, transferring trillions of dollars in enterprise value. Many of these…
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How ESOPs Source Deals Worth Closing: Three Channels, Purpose-Built
Most ESOP companies that get serious about growth through acquisition face the same early problem. The strategic rationale is sound, the board is aligned, and leadership has a general sense of what they want to buy. Then the question nobody has a clean answer to surfaces: where do the deals actually come from? The supply…
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Now is the Time to Explore Acquisition-Driven Growth
For years, ESOP leaders have built something worth protecting. Strong cultures. Sound governance. Organizations where people show up with genuine ownership in what they’re building together. That foundation is the advantage. Now the market is creating a new kind of opportunity. Demographic transition is accelerating ownership transfers across industries. Capital is consolidating. Competitive pressure is…
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The Rise of Buyer-Led M&A: Why ESOPs Are Built to Win It
If you run a profitable, well-established business, your email inbox probably tells you something. Mixed in among the customer notes, vendor messages, and internal updates is a steady stream of unsolicited outreach from people you have never met, all making some version of the same pitch: they represent serious capital, they are interested in acquiring…
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AI and the Stewardship Standard
There is no longer a debate about whether to use AI. The real question is whether you use it in a way that reflects your values or in a way that quietly undermines them. At 40 Million Owners, we use AI every day. In research, in writing, in financial modeling, in deal analysis. It makes…
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Six Steps to Prepare ESOPs for Strategic Acquisitions
An acquisition framework gives the organization a shared foundation for decision-making. It aligns management, the board, and the ESOP trustee around a clear strategic intent, disciplined criteria, and defined roles.
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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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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.