BDCC and VEOC host employee ownership workshop, discussion

Southern Vermont is home to one of New England’s strongest communities of employee-owned businesses. On Friday, November 6, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), 76 Cotton Mill Hill, in partnership with the Vermont Employee Ownership Center (VEOC) and regional partners, will bring together business owners, employee-owners, advisors, and community leaders for a full-day program centered around shared ownership.

The event will feature multiple educational tracks focused on employee-owned companies and business transition strategies, creating opportunities for organizations at every stage, from those curious about employee ownership to established employee stock ownership plans and cooperatives looking to deepen ownership culture.

The full-day event features two complementary educational programs designed for different audiences while encouraging shared learning throughout the day.

In the morning program, from 9 am to 12 pm, a business owner succession workshop is offered. This is an interactive, small-group session designed for business owners who are actively considering retirement, succession planning or transitioning the business. Participants will work through key questions surrounding business readiness, valuation, timing, financing options, and ownership transition strategies. The workshop will explore a variety of succession pathways, with a focus on key employee or broad-based employee ownership conversion.

From 1 to 5 pm, there will be a regional forum focused on employee-owned businesses, bringing together people from employee-owned companies, business owners, and advisors from across Vermont, Southern New Hampshire, and Western Massachusetts.

Everyone registered is welcome to attend lunch, from 12 to 1 pm, and the closing reception, at 4:30 pm.

Sessions include building ownership culture, open-book management and financial education, employee ownership committees, governance and cooperative leadership, leadership succession at employee-owned businesses, practical tools for existing ESOPs and worker cooperatives, and roundtable discussions connecting business leaders and practitioners.

Current business owners interested in employee ownership for the future of the company should register for the ownership succession workshop.

To register go to veoc.org/sovt-eo-forum. For more information call (802) 257-7731 or go to brattleborodevelopment.com and scroll down to upcoming events and training.