Business conversions to employee ownership
Case studies: Owner-Retires or Owner-Stays
Bellegarde Bakery
Industry: Hospitality and Food Services
Location: New Orleans, LA
Transitioned: 2022
Employees: 10
Read story >>
Atthowe Fine Art Services
Industry: Fine Art Storage and Moving
Location: Oakland, CA
Transitioned: 2021
Employees: 38
Read story >>
Alternative Technologies
Industry: Technology Services
Location: Berkeley, CA
Converted: 2022
Employees: 40
Read story >>
Proof Bakery
Industry: Hospitality and Food Services
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Converted: 2021
Employees: 25
Read story >>
The Local Butcher Shop
Industry: Hospitality and Food Services
Location: Berkeley, CA
Converted: 2021
Employees: 17
Read story >>
Cal Solar thrives through COVID crisis
Industry: Solar
Location: Grass Valley, CA
Converted: 2019
Employees: 26
Read Story >>
Adams and Chittenden Scientific Glass
Industry: Manufacturing
Location: Berkeley, CA
Converted: June 2019
Employees: 8
Read case study >>
Rockman et al
Industry: Research Firm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Converted: Aug 2019
Employees: 14
Read case study & view video >>
Happy Earth
Industry: Cleaning Service
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Converted: Dec 2019
Employees: 19
Read case study & view video >>
Niles Pie
Industry: Bakery
Location: Union City, CA
Converted: July 2017
Employees: 8
Read case study & view video >>
A Slice of New York
Industry: Restaurant
Location: San Jose, CA
Converted: July 2017
Employees: 33
View video >>
Urban Ore
Industry: Retail Resale Store
Location: Berkeley, CA
Converted: In progress
Employees: 38
Listen to the NPR Marketplace report >>
Interviews & Stories
Tom James Company
Tom James Company is the largest custom clothing firm in the world. And it is proud to be 100% employee-owned.
Delta Pipeline, Inc.
Project Equity had a chance to connect with Craig Danley, President and CEO of Delta Pipeline, Inc., a successful ESOP in Long Beach, CA. Read full story >>
Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels
Project Equity interviewed Dennis Quaintance, Co-founder of ESOP Quaintance-Weaver. Read full story >>
Optimax: An Employee Ownership Trust
In 2020, Optimax became an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). Read about their story and why an EOT made sense to them.
Burnett Specialists: The Perfect Solution
Project Equity interviewed Burnett Specialists, a successful ESOP and Staffing firm in Houston, Texas that went from woman-owned to 100% employee-owned. Read interview >>
Columbia Forest Products
Project Equity interviewed Columbia Forest Products, a successful ESOP and wood manufacturer in Greensboro, NC. Read interview >>
Hatco Corporation
Project Equity had a chance to connect with Hatco Corporation, a successful ESOP and manufacturer in Wisconsin. Read full story >>
Device Engineering Incorporated
Project Equity had a chance to connect with Device Engineering Incorporated, a successful ESOP in Arizona. Read full story >>
Mandela Grocery Coop
Project Equity had a chance to connect with Andrea Talley, the general manager of Mandela Grocery Coop, an Oakland icon and one of Project Equity’s Thrive program clients. Read full story >>
Recology
Project Equity reached out to Julie Bertani-Kiser, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Recology, to find out how their ESOP company was responding to the health crisis. Read full story >>
Adams and Chittenden: Mo’s Story
Adams and Chittenden, a manufacturer of laboratory glassware in Berkeley, CA, worked with Project Equity to transition the company ownership to their employees. In 2018, Mo was preparing to become one of the new owners. Read full story >>
Niles Pie: Sarah’s Story
We interviewed Sarah Vegas, an employee-owner at Niles Pie in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read how becoming an owner changed her life. Read full story >>
Financing
A Yard and a Half Landscaping deal structure
Industry: Landscaping
Location: Massachusetts
Year converted: 2013
Total capital: $635,000
Annual revenue at sale date: $2M
Worker-owner buy-in: $7,000
Worker-owners: 20
Read financial study >>
New Era Windows deal structure
Industry: Manufacturing
Location: Chicago, IL
Year converted: 2013
Total capital: $850,000
Annual revenue at sale date: $0
Worker-owner buy-in: $1,000
Worker-owners: 16 (20 employees)
Read financial study >>
Island Employee Cooperative deal structure
Industry: Grocery/Retail Variety
Location: Maine
Year converted: 2014
Total capital: $5,600,000
Annual revenue at sale date: $12M
Worker-owner buy-in: $7,000
Worker-owners: 45 (62 employees)
Read financial study >>
Real Pickles deal structure
Industry: Food Manufacturing
Location: Massachusetts
Year converted: 2013
Total capital: $749,000
Annual revenue at sale date: $581,000
Worker-owner buy-in: $6,000
Worker-owners: 5
Read financial study >>
New School of Montpelier deal structure
Industry: Education
Location: Vermont
Year converted: 2015
Annual revenue at sale date: $2M
Purchase price: $200,000
Worker-owner buy-in: $500
Worker-owners: 38
Read financial study >>
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