Here are some resources to learn more about small business conversions to worker cooperatives and employee ownership in rural areas.
Company Stories
- Regenerative Design Group – Greenfield, MA
- Snow River Cooperative – Crandon, WI
- Burial Grounds Collective – Olympia, WA
- Marine Surveys and Assessments – Port Townsend, WA
- W.J. Wheeler Insurance – South Paris, ME
- Ward Lumber – Jay, NY
- Le Voyeur – Olympia, WA
- California Solar Electric Company – Grass Valley, CA
- Working Systems – Olympia, WA
- Orca Books – Olympia, WA
- Alliance Mechanical – Essex Junction, VT
- Mainer News – Woolwich, ME
- Insource Renewables – Pittsfield, ME
- Railroad Avenue Supply Company – Stamford, NY
- Random Harvest Market – Craryville, NY
- New Frameworks, Winooski VT
- Rock City Employee Cooperative – Rockland, ME
- Capital Homecare Cooperative – Olympia, WA
- Echo Adventure Cooperative – Groveland, CA
- Ewing Controls – Greenfield, MA
- Milkweed Mercantile, Rutledge MO
- Northwind Solar – Stevens Point, WI
- Earth Designs Cooperative – Rosendale, NY
- New Roots Cooperative Farm – Lewiston, ME
- Peninsula Home Care – Port Townsend, WA
- Acadia Landscape + Design, Mount Desert Island, ME
- Timber Homes – Vershire, VT
- Rock Steady Farm and Flowers – Millerton, NY
- Big Water Coffee Roasters – Bayfield, WI
- New School of Montpelier – Montpelier, VT
- Baldwin Apple Ladders – Brooks, ME
- Vermont Computing Cooperative, Randolph VT
- Earth-Bound Building – Brandywine, MD
- Island Employee Cooperative – Deer Isle, ME
- Letterbox Farm Collective – Hudson, NY
- H&R Agri-Power – Hopkinsville, KY
- Northwest Construction Cooperative – Olympia, WA
- New Moon Cooperative Cafe – Olympia, WA
- Real Pickles – Greenfield, MA
- Chelsea Green Publishing – White River Junction, VT
- Agua Gorda Cooperative – Long Prairie, MN
- Blue Scorcher Bakery – Astoria, OR
- PT360 – Williston, VT
- Catamount Solar- Randolph, VT
- Fifth Season Cooperative – Viroqua, WI
- Opportunity Threads – Morganton, NC
- Green Mountain Spinnery – Putney, VT
- Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm, QC
- King Arthur Flour – Norwich, VT
- Bellingham Bay Builders – Bellingham, WA
- Red House Building – Colchester, VT
- South Mountain Company – West Tisbury, MA
- Blue Heron Construction – Port Townsend, WA
- Workers Owned Sewing Company – Windsor, NC
- Once Again Nut Butter – Nunda, NY
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 […]
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 […]
Sectors
Solar
Empowered Energy Systems – Hotchkiss, CO
Image from Empowered Energy Systems Location: Hotchkiss, Colorado Sector: Solar Founded: 2004 […]
Carolina Solar Services – Durham, NC
Image from CCEBA Location: Durham, North Carolina Sector: Solar Founded: 2014 Employee […]
Ethos Green Power Cooperative — Viroqua, WI
Location: Viroqua, Wisconsin 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: […]
Construction
Eastern Garage Door – Lawrence, MA
Image from CDI Location: Lawrence, Massachusetts Sector: Construction Founded: 1930 Employee owned […]
Sky Blue Builders – Denver, CO
Image from Sky Blue Builders Location: Denver, Colorado Sector: Construction Founded: 2007 […]
Maine Passive House – Bethel, ME
Image from CDI Location: Bethel, Maine Sector: Construction Founded: 2006 Employee owned […]
Equinox Woodworks – Burnsville, NC
Image from Equinox Woodworks Location: Burnsville, North Carolina Sector: Construction Founded: 2013 […]
Urban Projects Collaborative – New York City
Location: New York City, New York Industry: Project Management for Real Estate […]
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 […]
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: […]