Category: Uncategorized
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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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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.
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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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The Dual Mandate – Linking RPO and Growth Through Acquisition
Many ESOPs think of the repurchase obligation study as a financial exercise, a way to forecast future cash needs. But what if it could do more? This week, Mike Brady, Managing Director at 40 Million Owners, and Ryan Kuchta, Director of Client Services at ESOP Partners, are joining members of the The National Center for…
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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…