Business Succession Workshop

Best Places to Work Award

Employee Ownership Day

Annual Conference

Employee Ownership on VPR's Vermont Edition

Vermont Employee 
Ownership Center
P.O. Box 546
Burlington, VT 05402
Phone: 802-861-6611
Email: info@veoc.org
Website: www.veoc.org

Space Still Available for Business Succession Workshop
on February 17th in Burlington

It's not too late to register for a free workshop entitled “Selling to the Employees: Employee Ownership as a Path for Business Succession.” The workshop will be held on February 17th from 2:30 to 5:00 pm at the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce Boardroom in Burlington.

This workshop will include a brief overview of ownership succession options, the pros and cons of different forms of employee ownership, and key financial and other benefits of this approach. Joining the VEOC’s Jon Crystal and Don Jamison for this presentation will be Stephen P. Magowan of SES Advisors, Dunbar Oehmig of Red House Building, and Giles Willey, of Vermont Systems.

If you are thinking about the issue of business succession, this is an ideal introductory workshop. Click here for more information or to click here to register. If you know someone who might be interested in learning more about employee ownership, please forward this information to them.

The workshop is sponsored by the VEOC, the Greater Burlington Industrial Corp., the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and SES Advisors.

Three Employee-Owned Companies Named Best Places to Work in Vermont

Three employee-owned companies are among the honorees for the annual "Best Companies to Work for in Vermont" award. Resource Systems Group (RSG) was named in the small/medium sized company category. Gardener's Supply Company and King Arthur Flour Company were named in the large company category. A total of 15 companies are honored each year.

The award is presented by Vermont Business Magazine in partnership with Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Society for Human Resource Management-Vermont State Council, Vermont Department of Labor, the Vermont Department of Economic Development and Best Companies Group. Click here for more information about the award.

First Annual Employee Ownership Day to be held March 24th in Montpelier

The VEOC will be holding its First Annual Employee Ownership Day at the Vermont State House on the morning of March 24th. The goals are to meet with legislators to familiarize them with the benefits of employee ownership; recognize Vermont's employee-owned companies and their contributions to the state's economy; and highlight the mission of the VEOC.

We're also seeking display items such as samples of company brochures, small banners, table displays, or photos from employee-owned companies. Please email us if you have items to contribute or if you'd like to attend the event.

2009 Vermont Employee Ownership Conference slated for June 5th in Burlington

Mark your calendars for the Seventh Annual Vermont Employee Ownership Conference, being held Friday, June 5th at Champlain College in Burlington.

This year's keynote speaker will be renowned political journalist and author William Greider. Greider is the former assistant managing editor at the Washington Post, where he worked for 15 years as a national correspondent, editor and columnist. Greider has also served as a correspondent for six Frontline documentaries on PBS. He currently serves as National Affairs Correspondent for The Nation.

We're also planning a cocktail reception for the evening of June 4th. All are welcome to attend -- especially conference attendees and members of employee-owned companies. Stay tuned for more details.

Employee Ownership featured on VPR's Vermont Edition

Employee ownership was the subject of a recent episode of VPR's daily call-in show Vermont Edition. Don Jamison of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center was joined by John Abrams of South Mountain Company, a worker co-operative based in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

The guests discussed why companies choose to sell to their employees, the overall benefits of employee ownership, and how employee-owned companies are dealing with the current economic downturn.

Click here to listen to or download the audio program.

This project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA’s funding should not be construed as an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA-funded projects are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.