Owners at Work

Small businesses account for nearly half of all jobs in the US economy, and nearly half of all small businesses are owned by Baby Boomers who will retire in the next few decades in what has been termed the "silver tsunami". These businesses are integral to local communities, and there continued operation is key to building back our economy. In this episode we talk to Brett Jones of Evergreen Cooperatives and Ellen Vera of Co-op Cincy about each of their organization's new loan funds designed to help convert existing businesses into employee owned companies, giving owners, workers, and communities an opportunity to build wealth and meet the challenge of the silver tsunami.

Upcoming programming

Our 35th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference is one month away, check out the agenda and register

Guest info

Brett Jones, Evergreen Cooperatives

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 216-338-4468

Ellen Vera, Co-op Cincy

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone 513-807-3898
• Business Legacy Fund Website

We want to hear from you!!! Email us at [email protected]

Research consistently shows that employee owned companies whether economic downturns better than their conventional counterparts, but we rarely get an 'inside view' of this outcome is achieved. In this episode, we sit down with Bernie Murphy, President of the Ohio based ESOP company Jones Hamilton, as well as the company's valuation advisor Michael McGinsley of Prairie Capital. We talk about their journey through the covid crisis, the tools and strategies they used to ensure that the company and its ownership culture remained strong, and the importance of communication and engagement with employee-owners and outside advisors during challenging times.

GUEST INFO

Bernie Murhpy, Jones Hamilton - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernie-murphy-454823191/

Michael McGinsley, Prairie Capital - https://www.prairiecap.com/team/michael-mcginley-asa-cva

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

Webinars and Roundtables - https://www.oeockent.org/ohios-eo-network/virtual-programming

The 35th Annual Conference - https://www.oeockent.org/resources-events/annual-ohio-employee-ownership-conference

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

We want to share your employee ownership story!! Send us an email at [email protected]

EPISODE SPONSOR

This episode was brought to you by Fifth Third Bank. 53.com/ESOP

Research consistently shows that employee owned companies whether economic downturns better than their conventional counterparts, but we rarely get an 'inside view' of this outcome is achieved. In this episode, we sit down with Bernie Murphy, President of the Ohio based ESOP company Jones Hamilton, as well as the company's valuation advisor Michael McGinsley of Prairie Capital Advisors. We talk about their journey through the covid crisis, the tools and strategies they used to ensure that the company and its ownership culture remained strong, and the importance of communication and engagement with employee-owners and outside advisors during challenging times.

GUEST INFO

Bernie Murphy - President, Jones Hamilton Co. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernie-murphy-454823191/

Michael McGinley, Prairie Capital Advisors Michael McGinely Prarie Capital Advisors

OEOC UPCOMING PROGRAMING

Webinars and Roundtables - https://www.oeockent.org/ohios-eo-network/virtual-programming

35th Annual Conference - https://www.oeockent.org/resources-events/annual-ohio-employee-ownership-conference

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!

We are always looking to share stories of employee ownership. Reach out to us at [email protected]

EPISODE SPONSOR

The episode was brought to you by Fifth Third Bank. 53.com/ESOP

On this inaugural 2021 episode of the pod, we talk with Anthony Mathews from the California Center, and former Executive Director Of the Beyster Institute. Anthony has spent decades in the world of employee ownership and has a thing or two to say about it. We get into his path into the field, his belief that employee ownership can be a cure for what ails society, and the economy, and much more. It is a wide-ranging discussion, and he is not shy about expressing his thoughts and opinions. But through it all, his belief in the idea of employee ownership, and the impact it can have on the lives of working people, comes from a place of passion, and from a lifetime of working the field.

GUEST INFO Anthony Mathews

https://www.ownershipcalifornia.org/bod

OEOC PROGRAMS

https://www.oeockent.org/ohios-eo-network/virtual-programming

EPISODE SPONSOR GBQ Consulting

https://gbq.com/service/esop/

***WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU***

We want to produce a show that engages with relevant questions and provides practical lessons and information. We want this podcast to include the voices of those who practice employee-ownership each and every day. Please reach out via email: [email protected]

Owners at Work is back for season two. We talk with Anthony Mathews of the California Center for Employee Ownership about his many years working to expand employee ownership as well as how employee ownership may be a cure for what ails our economy and society more broadly.

Full episode drops soon.

Check out our past episodes here: https://www.oeockent.org/resources-events/owners-at-work-podcast

We hear a lot about the the rising level of economic inequality in our society, the increasingly precarious nature of employment, and the difficulties of saving for retirement. What we hear about much less is the how employee owned firms, in particular companies with Employee Stock Ownership Plans, can help address these an many other issues by helping workers build wealth - broadly defined. In this episode we sit down with two senior researchers, Janet Boguslaw and Lisa Schur, and talk about a they co-authored that focuses on these questions. We discuss in detail how employee ownership can help low and moderate income employees build assets as well as recommendations they have to expand the sector and spread the benefits of employee ownership to a larger share of workers.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!

If you have a story about employee ownership that you want to share email us at [email protected]

LINK TO REPORT

This report discussed in this episode was made possible by the generous support of the Kellogg Foundation. Follow the link below to learn more and access the report: https://smlr.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/rutgerskelloggreport_april2019.pdf

GUEST INFO

• Lisa Schur: https://smlr.rutgers.edu/faculty-staff/lisa-schur
• Janet Boguslaw: https://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=618c696e80b167f775d26cef40323f5cb830910c

If there is one thing to know about the field of employee ownership it's that it includes a wide variety of models. In the US, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and worker cooperatives are the two most well known, but there are many others. In this episode we sit down with Chris Michael, an attorney and professor, to discuss a less known model - the employee ownership trust. We dig into the history of the model, talk about its similarities and differences to ESOPs and worker cooperatives, and cover why selling business owners may want to consider it.

***WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!***

Have a comment about the work we are doing or an employee ownership story of your own? Email us at [email protected]

EPISODE GUEST CONTACT INFOMATION

Chris Michael: https://www.eolaw.com/

We're getting to the end of year, and a general theme of our upcoming programming, as well as many of our conversations with companies and advisors alike, focuses on taking stock of what's happened, and is still happening, and how we are looking at, and planning for, the future. In this episode of the Owners At Work podcast we're highlighting a couple of recent conversations on this theme. First up we have Tina DiCroce and Collin Mayer of Chartwell talking about the impacts of Covid on repurchase and sustainability, a key issue for ESOP companies. And then we talk with Nick Sypniewski of Comstock Advisors about the covid impacts for business valuations, and the general outlook for the economy, heading into 2021. As always, we welcome your feedback on the discussion and the episode.

***We Want to Hear From You*** If you have a story about employee ownership that you would like to share, or a topic you would like us to cover, please email us at [email protected]

Speaker Contact Info:

• Nick Sypniewski http://comstockadvisors.com/employees/nickolas-sypniewski/
• Tina DiCroce: https://www.chartwellfa.com/professionals/tina-dicroce
• Collin Mayer: https://chartwellfa.com/professionals/collin-mayer

In this episode we speak with six experts in the field of employee ownership about how to approach 'regular' operations that all ESOPs must undertake while at the same time keeping an eye on planning for the long term. The discussions, which are adapted from our Annual Conference Short Take videos, focus on ESOP processes and procedures, sustainability, and more. We talk about valuations and preparation strategies, the role of third party administrators, how to best approach repurchase obligations, the evolving concept of ESOP sustainability, what ESOP sustainability studies are, and how to put them into action.

QUEST SPEAKERS

• Pete Shuler, Crowe LLP: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-shuler-5631044/
• Nick Adamy, Adamy Valuation: https://adamyvaluation.com/team/nick-adamy/
• Nick Sypniewski, Comstock Advisors: http://comstockadvisors.com/employees/nickolas-sypniewski/
• Tom DeSimone, Prairie Capital Advisors: https://www.prairiecap.com/team/tom-desimone-cpa
• Tim Jamison , Prairie Capital Advisors: https://www.prairiecap.com/team/timothy-jamison-cpa
• Tina Dicroce, Chartwell: https://www.chartwellfa.com/professionals/tina-dicroce

REACH OUT TO US!

We are always looking to hear from those in the employee-ownershup community and are happy to help highlight your story and bring it to a larger audience. Email us at [email protected]

SHORT TAKE VIDEOS

The interviews in this episode are adapted from video interviews that can be accessed here: https://www.oeockent.org/short-takes

It is well known within the employee ownership community that employee-owned companies do better in times of crisis compared to conventionally owned companies. However, this not a law of gravity, it is the result of countless actions taken by and processes created within employee-owned firms. In this episode we speak with five experts in the field of employee ownership and look at what actions ESOPs can take in this current economic environment to ensure that they make it to the other end of this crisis. The discussions are wide ranging and focus on legal issues for distressed companies, employee engagement and communication, trustee relationships, managing your capital position, forming good relationships with banks and other financial partners, and current trends among existing employee-owned companies.

EPISODE QUESTS

• Chelsea Mikula: https://www.tuckerellis.com/people/chelsea-mikula
• Dale Vlasek: https://mcdonaldhopkins.com/Team/Attorney/d/Dale-Vlasek
• Eric Zaleski: https://www.pcecompanies.com/staff-member/eric-zaleski
• Cathy Ivancic: http://workplacedevelopment.com/about-workplace-development/
• Corey Rosen: https://www.nceo.org/NCEO-Speaking-Consulting-Staff/id/53

LINK TO SHORT TAKE VIDEOS

https://webflow.com/design/ohio-employee-ownership-center?pageId=5f2c5351fb9fc0a9762740a9