Year Founded: 2003
Years of Employee Ownership: Worker-owned co-op since 2003
Headquarters: Colchester, VT
Line of Business: Building Company
Red House works on a broad range of projects, including new home construction, additions, remodels, light commercial fit-ups and historic restorations.
Red House is differentiated from almost all other building companies in that it is one of very few worker-owned cooperative building companies in the nation to date. When it restructured into Red House in 2003, after a successful decade as a small custom building firm, the goal was to create a business environment that attracted and could retain top-quality employees and craftspeople.
Currently more than one-half of the people in their company hold ownership shares in the company. Since its inception, Red House has grown steadily and experiences next-to-zero employee turnover.
“Our employee-owned structure promotes an environment which consistently values the creativity, energy and commitment of all our employees," says a Red House representative. "In addition to the obvious benefits this business structure provides to our business' stability, our clients ultimately benefit the most from the level of commitment that our employees bring to their job site.”
The Red House team conducts extensive research on energy-efficient design and materials for its projects. The company has built a reputation for its innovative applications of geothermal heating and cooling, solar electric and hot water, wind power, and insulation.
