Tag: finance
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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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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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The Force Multiplier
Why Investors and Businesses Are Betting on Employee Ownership When Bob Moore, co-founder and CEO of Bob’s Red Mill, passed away in February 2024, he left behind more than just a successful whole-grain foods brand—he left a legacy of employee ownership. In 2010, he made the bold decision to transfer 100% ownership of the company…
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ESOP CEOs Drive Value and Reduce Risk through Acquisitions
Employee ownership is good business, and employee-owned companies make for successful acquirers. In a crowded market for lower-middle market acquisitions, ESOPs stand apart. Few market participants can match an ESOP’s attractiveness as a well-capitalized buyer that preserves the sellers’ legacy, provides their employees future wealth-building opportunities, and potentially allows the sellers to defer a portion…
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THE EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP SCENARIO
We often encounter two distinct scenarios among business owners considering employee ownership. The first involves owners and their partners who are in the early stages of exploring employee ownership as a potential cornerstone of their growth strategy and long-term succession plan. These owners are seeking guidance on whether employee ownership aligns with their vision and…
40 MILLION OWNERS 