Resources for Rural Employee Ownership

Here are some resources to learn more about small business conversions to worker cooperatives and employee ownership in rural areas. 

Company Stories


Places

Maine

NPQ – Nonprofit Takes Leadership Role to Address Business Succession “Tsunami”

From NPQ: Here at NPQ, we have noted that a business ownership succession […]

Press Republican – Keeping North Country businesses alive

From the Press Republican: More than 10,000 business owners nearing retirement in […]

Business ownership by workers: are worker cooperatives a viable option?

From Iowa State University: One possible strategy for both succession and new […]

USDA – Worker-owned / ESOPs can help preserve business in rural America

From the USDA: Employee ownership can help a business prosper by creating […]

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North Carolina

NPQ – Nonprofit Takes Leadership Role to Address Business Succession “Tsunami”

From NPQ: Here at NPQ, we have noted that a business ownership succession […]

Press Republican – Keeping North Country businesses alive

From the Press Republican: More than 10,000 business owners nearing retirement in […]

Business ownership by workers: are worker cooperatives a viable option?

From Iowa State University: One possible strategy for both succession and new […]

USDA – Worker-owned / ESOPs can help preserve business in rural America

From the USDA: Employee ownership can help a business prosper by creating […]

.

Vermont

NPQ – Nonprofit Takes Leadership Role to Address Business Succession “Tsunami”

From NPQ: Here at NPQ, we have noted that a business ownership succession […]

Press Republican – Keeping North Country businesses alive

From the Press Republican: More than 10,000 business owners nearing retirement in […]

Business ownership by workers: are worker cooperatives a viable option?

From Iowa State University: One possible strategy for both succession and new […]

USDA – Worker-owned / ESOPs can help preserve business in rural America

From the USDA: Employee ownership can help a business prosper by creating […]

.

Wisconsin

NPQ – Nonprofit Takes Leadership Role to Address Business Succession “Tsunami”

From NPQ: Here at NPQ, we have noted that a business ownership succession […]

Press Republican – Keeping North Country businesses alive

From the Press Republican: More than 10,000 business owners nearing retirement in […]

Business ownership by workers: are worker cooperatives a viable option?

From Iowa State University: One possible strategy for both succession and new […]

USDA – Worker-owned / ESOPs can help preserve business in rural America

From the USDA: Employee ownership can help a business prosper by creating […]

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Sectors

Solar

Ethos Green Power Cooperative —  Viroqua, WI

Location: Viroqua, WI Industry: Renewable Energy Number of employees:7 Became employee-owned: 2021 […]

California Solar Electric Company – Grass Valley, CA

Industry: Solar Location: Grass Valley, California Number of employees: 30 Became employee owned: […]

Insource Renewables – Pittsfield, ME

Insource Renewables is a solar installation business in Pittsfield, Maine. The original […]

Sun Light & Power – Berkeley, CA

Industry: Solar Location: California Number of employees: 80 Became employee owned: 2018 […]

Northwind Solar – Stevens Point, WI

North Wind Solar is a solar power system design and installation company […]

ReVision Energy – Portland, ME

Industry: Solar Location: Portland, Maine Number of employees: 250 Became employee owned: 2017 […]

Technicians for Sustainability – Tucson, AZ

Technicians for Sustainability (TFS) in an employee-owned cooperative in the solar industry […]

Sustainergy – Cincinnati, OH

Industry: Solar Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Number of employees: 5 Became employee owned: […]

Catamount Solar- Randolph, VT

Industry: Solar Location: Randolph, Vermont Number of employees: 11 Became employee owned: […]

Construction

Urban Projects Collaborative – New York City

Location: New York City Industry: Project Management for Real Estate & Construction […]

Oxbow Design Build – Easthampton, MA

Industry: Construction, Architecture and Design Location: Easthampton, Massachusetts Number of employees: 7 Became […]

Mexcon – Philadelphia, PA

Industry: Construction Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Number of employees: 40 Became employee owned: […]

Alliance Mechanical – Essex Junction, VT

Industry: Construction Location:Essex Junction, Vermont Number of employees: 125 Became employee owned: […]

Hivemind – Philadelphia, PA

Industry: Construction Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Number of employees: 10 Became employee owned: […]

Davis Home Pros – Walnut Creek CA

Davis Home Pros is a 15-person residential remodeling cooperative in Walnut Creek […]

New Prairie Construction – Urbana, IL

New Prairie Construction is a 25-employee general contractor in Urbana, Illinois, with […]

Brooklyn Stone and Tile, Brooklyn NY

Location: New York Industry: Manufacturing Number of employees: 8 Became employee owned: […]

A1DesignBuild – Bellingham, WA

A1DesignBuild is a 21-employee worker cooperative that does residential sustainable design and […]

Cooperativa PWA – Philadelphia, PA

Industry: Construction Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Number of employees: 8 Became employee owned: […]

Farming

New Roots Cooperative Farm – Lewiston, ME

Industry: Farming Location: Lewiston, Maine Number of employees: 4 Became employee owned: […]

Rock Steady Farm and Flowers – Millerton, NY

Location: Millerton, New York Industry: Farming Number of employees: 7 Became employee owned: […]

Letterbox Farm Collective – Hudson, NY

Location: New York Industry: Farming Number of employees: 7 Became employee owned:  […]

Agua Gorda Cooperative – Long Prairie, MN

Location: Long Prairie, Minnesota Industry: Farming Number of employees: 3 Became employee […]

Fifth Season Cooperative – Viroqua, WI

Location: Viroqua, Wisconsin Industry: Farming Number of employees: 5 Became cooperatively owned: […]

Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm, QC

Location: Quebec Industry: Farming Number of employees: 5 Became employee owned: 2005 […]

Fedco Seeds – Clinton, ME

Consumers own 60% of this cooperative and worker members own 40%. Industry: […]