The Ohio Employee Ownership Center engages in a variety of outreach activities and educational / consulting services that support its mission to broaden capital ownership. We promote the notion that encouraging businesses to skillfully plan transitions in ownership and share equity with their workers will have a positive effect on job retention, wealth creation, and economic development.
The OEOC provides advice and training through a wide variety of programs and educational opportunities for companies considering, or who currently have, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP’s). Learn more about the Employee-Owned Network and its programs
The OEOC’s Succession Planning Program (SPP) offers an information and training resource to business owners who are in need of planning for their eventual transition in ownership. We have a special emphasis on transitions and/or sales to employees. Learn more.
The OEOC staff offers in-company training and organizational development (OD) to individual employee owned companies on a fee for service basis. Training can be customized to meet your companies particular needs
The OEOC provides free preliminary technical assistance to Ohioans (both employees and employers) that are interested in exploring the possibility of employee ownership, whether through an ESOP or cooperative. Contact us.
For the past 33 years, the OEOC has conducted an annual Employee Ownership conference which in 2019 attracted over 380 registrants. At the conference attendees are able to learn more about a slew of topics relevant to employee ownership.
the OEOC’s research program is designed to distill and disseminate best practices from the experiences of Ohio companies and to diagnose systematic problems. We have publications covering important topics regarding both cooperatives and ESOPs.
the OEOC works closely with urban economic development organizations to help create wealth and jobs. For example, efforts with the University of Maryland’s Democracy Collaborative and the Cleveland Foundation have resulted in a project which has created employee-owned cooperatives including a state of the art laundry service, sustainable retrofitting, and greenhouse producing fresh vegetables. Together they are known as the Evergreen Cooperatives.
the OEOC offers membership to professional service providers familiar with business exit planning, ownership succession, and employee ownership. Although the OEOC does not provide legal, accounting, or valuation services it does maintain a database of lawyers, bankers, valuators, and other professionals who specialize in these and related services.