Six out of ten Minnesota business owners plan to sell in the next decade 

MNCEO Press Release:

Minnesota —Today, the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO) released new data that reveals twin crises from the Silver Tsunami coupled with COVID-19 for businesses across Minnesota. Developed by Project Equity, the study shows that approximately 50% of all job-creating businesses in Minnesota (53,000) are owned by baby boomers. It is estimated that 60% of these businesses plan to transfer ownership in the next decade and COVID-19 has accelerated this timeline for many. The study results are presented on a county by county basis.

Affecting approximately 600,000 Minnesota employees and with nearly $124 billion in generated revenue at stake, the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership, Project Equity and Twin Cities-based Nexus Community Partners are joining together in an effort to greatly expand the number of employee-owned businesses in the state to stem the tide of the Silver Tsunami and the fall out from COVID-19.  MNCEO aims to engage community leaders and state and local government officials about employee ownership as a way to preserve these at-risk businesses, provide local quality jobs, strengthen the community’s economic resiliency, and create equity and wealth for all employees regardless of their race, ethnicity or education.  

“The timing is crucial to educate business owners across Minnesota and to provide resources to help them navigate their options,” said Sue Crockett, Executive Director of the MNCEO, a nonprofit that serves as the central hub for information on employee ownership in Minnesota. “Each year, Minnesota ranks in the top ten in the number of employee-owned companies across the country. We’re on a mission to continue the momentum by turning the entire state of Minnesota into a place where every working person can also be an employee-owner.”

Roger Ryberg, former owner of Windings, Inc. in New Ulm, Minnesota, identified employee ownership as a pathway to retirement by choosing an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) model. His daughters were not interested in assuming management responsibility in the 100-person manufacturing company, and he did not want to walk away. Employee ownership allowed him to sell the business on his own timeline, preserve jobs and keep the company rooted in the community. 

“Transitioning a business you have grown from scratch is not only a financial transaction, but an emotional experience. Employee ownership kept my company anchored in New Ulm, retained valued employees, and provided opportunity for growth, not to mention the financial benefits the employees have gained over the years,” states Roger Ryberg. Due to the strong culture of employee ownership, Windings, Inc. was better able to weather the COVID-19 economic downturn. 

“What businesses are experiencing in Minnesota is reflected across the country. As half of all business owners near retirement age, most do not have an exit strategy for what will happen to their business and employees once they retire. Employee ownership creates a roadmap for resiliency,” stated Alison Lingane, co-founder of Project Equity.  

“This moment is an opportunity to grow and perpetuate community wealth by teaming up with government and community leaders to expand opportunities for business ownership,” said Benjamin Tsai, Director of Community Wealth Building at Nexus Community Partners, a nonprofit that helps businesses transition to employee ownership, with an expertise in worker-owned cooperatives.

More about our partners:

Project Equity

Project Equity is a national leader in the movement to harness employee ownership to maintain thriving local business communities, honor selling owners’ legacies and address income and wealth inequality. Project Equity works with partners around the country to raise awareness about employee ownership as an exit strategy for business owners, and provides hands-on consulting and support to companies that want to transition to employee ownership. 

Nexus Community Partners

Nexus Community Partners, based in the Twin Cities, works to build a more inclusive economy for communities of color. The Nexus Worker Ownership Initiative helps business owners with succession planning and in exploring the benefits of incorporating employee-owned business models into their transition plans.