Electric Violin Shop is a 5-employee instrument sales and repair shop in Durham, North Carolina that serves both retail customers and a global mail-order business. The founder, planning to retire, saw in his employees a level of expertise and commitment to the business that would be impossible to find in an outside buyer.  Succession was made easier by long-standing practices of empowering staff with leadership and management roles.

Industry: Music
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Number of employees: 5
Became employee owned: 2016
Assistance: Carolina Common Enterprise
Financing: Shared Capital Cooperative, Local Enterprise Assistance Fund

Learn more

• Electric Violin Shop – Under New Ownership: EVS Converts to a Worker-owned Cooperative
• LEAF – Electric Violin Shop: A Worker Co-op Story (video)
• UNC-TV – Electric Violin Shop (video)

Video

 

Employee Owned Small Businesses in North Carolina

Employee Owned Small Businesses Assisted by Carolina Common Enterprise

Employee Owned Small Businesses Assisted by Shared Capital Cooperative

Employee Owned Small Businesses Assisted by LEAF