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# Verit Advisors

More Thoughtful. More Skilled.

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## Posts

- [Articles & Blogs](https://verit.com/articles-blogs/)
- [As M&A Activity Swells, ESOPs Emerge as a Potent New Player](https://verit.com/as-ma-activity-swells-esops-emerge-as-a-potent-new-player/) - With global merger & acquisition activity at record levels as first-half 2026 value surged to $2.8 trillion, middle market M&A is playing its part as private equity and corporate buyers reenter the market. Adding to this activity is a relatively new player, both as an acquirer and seller: employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs. The
- [Let’s Celebrate America’s Other Birthday Milestone: The 250th Anniversary of Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/lets-celebrate-americas-other-birthday-milestone-the-250th-anniversary-of-employee-ownership/) - Happy birthday, America! Celebrations galore will mark our country’s 250th anniversary. Among the commemorations, companies and industries are creating timeline walls and founders’ story corners that connect their history with United States’. Amidst these festivities, let’s take a moment to observe a similar remembrance that honors the rich history of employee ownership since colonial days.
- [The Power of a Partial ESOP (PPE)](https://verit.com/the-power-of-a-partial-esop-ppe/) - A strategic framework for liquidity, tax efficiency, and long‑term talent alignment Family-owned businesses play an essential role in economic growth, job creation, and community stability. As these companies grow and remain private for longer periods, many leaders eventually face a pivotal question, not simply when to sell, but why sell at all. Ownership and leadership succession should
- [Verit Advisors® Completes 100% ESOP Transaction for The Boldt Group, Inc.](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-100-esop-transaction-for-the-boldt-group-inc/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Appleton, Wisconsin-based The Boldt Group, Inc. (Boldt) to provide expertise in structuring and executing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction and debt capital raise that supported the company’s and shareholders’ objectives. Founded by Martin Boldt in 1889 as a family-owned carpentry shop, Boldt has
- [How a Sell-Side M&A Process Differs from an ESOP Transaction](https://verit.com/how-a-sell-side-ma-process-differs-from-an-esop-transaction/) - An ESOP Process vs. Private Equity or a Strategic Buyer Many business owners evaluate an exit solely by comparing valuation multiples. In practice, the deciding factor is usually how much uncertainty they are willing to live with for six to nine months. It is not uncommon for an owner, having spent months working through a transaction process, to decide that this is not the path they want to pursue. 
- [Who Knew? ESOPs are Ideally Structured for AI Success](https://verit.com/who-knew-esops-are-ideally-structured-for-ai-success/) - This intelligence is not artificial: Employee-owned companies are uniquely structured to succeed in harnessing AI where traditional corporations struggle. At work is the alignment of interests that employee ownership provides, which reduces concerns about supplanting employees’ roles and capabilities as companies begin experimenting with this powerful technology. Employee owners are inspired, not threatened, by opportunities
- [The Succession Option Many Advisors Still Overlook](https://verit.com/the-succession-option-many-advisors-still-overlook/) - Why Excluding Employee Ownership Leaves Succession Advice Incomplete It is well known that the United States is in the middle of what will be the largest transfer of wealth and businesses to the next generations of family and leadership. What is less known is how limited many owners’ understanding of their options are. According to
- [Employee Ownership: What’s Not to Love?](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-whats-not-to-love/) - It’s commonly thought that employee ownership and employee stock ownership plans are U.S.-centric. That’s not surprising since a poll of Americans found that employee ownership is as All-American as apple pie, baseball, and hot dogs. But employee ownership and ESOPs and ESOP-like structures are very much global in nature – and middle market businesses with
- [Verit Advisors® is Pleased to Announce the Partial Sale of NOW Health Group, Inc to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-is-pleased-to-announce-the-partial-sale-of-now-health-group-inc-to-an-employee-stock-ownership-plan/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Bloomingdale, Illinois based NOW Health Group (“NOW”), Inc to provide expertise in structuring and executing a partial Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction and debt capital raise that optimized the Company’s and shareholders’ objectives. The Verit team was honored to support NOW in this monumental
- [Verit Advisors® is Pleased to Announce the Sale of Harker Holding Inc. to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-is-pleased-to-announce-the-sale-of-harker-holding-inc-to-an-employee-stock-ownership-plan/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Charlotte, North Carolina based Harker Holding Inc. to provide expertise in structuring and executing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction and debt capital raise that optimized the Company’s and shareholders’ objectives. The Verit team was honored to advise Harker on this exciting transaction which
- [Hate Your Job? Become an Employee-Owner](https://verit.com/hate-your-job-become-an-employee-owner/) - Accept this piece of candid counsel: If you commonly hate getting out of bed and heading to work, you should find another job. Life’s too short to detest what you do. That sentiment explains why I was stunned to read a recent American Job Quality Study of 18,000 workers, completed by the respected Gallup organization.
- [Executive Compensation in Employee-Owned Companies](https://verit.com/executive-compensation-in-employee-owned-companies/) - By Yana Plotkin, Don Delves and Mary Sullivan Josephs WTW November 7, 2025 Executive compensation serves as a powerful tool for communicating and reinforcing the goals and core values of an organization and aligning the company’s long-term interests with those of its owners. For employee-owned organizations, this means aligning management’s interests with those of their employees to create an
- [Breaking Barriers: Certifying Minority- and Women-Owned ESOPs](https://verit.com/breaking-barriers-certifying-minority-and-women-owned-esops/) - How can we create opportunities for more workers to enjoy the benefits of employee ownership? Over the years advising on employee stock option plans, I’ve wondered why the number of ESOP-owned companies has shown little growth, hovering around 6,500-6,700 for the past decade. This sluggishness comes despite compelling and consistent evidence that employee ownership drives
- [Verit Advisors® to Speak at ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-esop-association-annual-conference-4/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the ESOP Association Annual Conference and Trade Show, the nation’s largest event dedicated to employee ownership. The conference will take place November 2–5, 2025, in Las Vegas, and is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees from across the country. Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO, will speak on Monday, November
- [Labor Day and Employee Ownership: A New Way to Honor America’s Workers](https://verit.com/labor-day-and-employee-ownership-a-new-way-to-honor-americas-workers/) - As we fire up our grills and celebrate the achievements of American workers for the 143rd year this Labor Day, let’s spotlight a powerful idea: Giving workers a real stake in the wealth they help create. That’s the promise of employee ownership and, specifically, employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs. They enable workers to become
- [Verit Advisors’® John Solimine Will Present at the 2025 Midwest Regional Chapter Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-john-solimine-will-present-at-the-2025-midwest-regional-chapter-conference/) - John Solimine, Managing Director of Verit Advisors® will present at the 2025 Midwest Regional Chapter Conference in Oakbrook, IL on September 16-18, 2025, hosted by the ESOP Association. The session’s title is “Financing for a New ESOP” and John’s co-presenters are Brian Roth; National Executive, ESOP Finance & Advisory; Bank of America and Amy Schuster,
- [Mary Josephs to Moderate a Panel at The NCEO Forum](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-to-moderate-a-panel-at-the-nceo-forum/) - Mary Josephs, Founder & CEO, Verit Advisors® will moderate a panel at the NCEO Forum, August 27th through 29th 2025 in Philadelphia, PA. The session, titled “A Big Tent: The Movement to Expand Employee Ownership”, will be held on Thursday August 28th from 3:15pm-4:15pm. The session will focus on efforts to expand employee ownership, why
- [Primer 101: Why, How & When to Join Employee Ownership’s Big Mo](https://verit.com/primer-101-why-how-when-to-join-employee-ownerships-big-mo/) - It’s certainly becoming the Decade of Employee Ownership. The attention toward employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, and related avenues such as employee ownership trusts continues to intensify. Private equity firms such as KKR and Blackstone are sharing the growth in the value of their portfolio companies with workers across the board. And Congress and
- [Verit Advisors Hires Matthew Anderson as Principal](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-hires-matthew-anderson-as-principal/) - Verit Advisors LLC® is pleased to announce that Matthew J. Anderson (Matt) has joined the firm as Principal. Matt will focus on transactions, restructurings, and advisory services including ESOPs, M&A, and strategic alternatives for Verit’s diverse client base. Matt will also assist in functions such as valuation analysis, financial modeling, market research and business development.
- [Verit Advisors® is Pleased to Announce the Sale of Iovino Enterprises to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-is-pleased-to-announce-the-sale-of-iovino-enterprises-to-an-employee-stock-ownership-plan/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by New York-based Iovino Enterprises to provide expertise in structuring and executing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction and debt capital raise that optimized the Company’s and shareholders’ objectives. The Verit team was honored to support Iovino Enterprises in this monumental transition which will create
- [Listening to an Employee Owner’s Experience Will Make Your Day](https://verit.com/listening-to-an-employee-owners-experience-will-make-your-day/) - Very simply, my enduring passion for employee ownership to which I’ve devoted over three decades reflects a delight in hearing workers tout the benefits of being an employee owner. And the advantages they cite go far beyond the substantial retirement funds they can attain from being part of an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP.
- [Verit Advisors® Employees to Present at Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-employees-to-present-at-employee-ownership-conference/) - Mary Josephs and John Solimine of Verit Advisors® will present at the 2025 Annual Employee Ownership Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah April 14 through April 17, 2025, hosted by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). This conference provides education about best practices and industry trends in employee ownership. On Wednesday, April 16, John
- [Mary Josephs to Host Session at Employee Ownership Ideas Forum Hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-to-host-session-at-employee-ownership-ideas-forum-hosted-by-the-aspen-institute-economic-opportunities-program/) - Mary Josephs, Founder & CEO, Verit Advisors® will host a fireside chat at the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, hosted by the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing and The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. This year’s forum, “From Workers to Owners”, will highlight
- [60 Minutes-Private Equity Heavyweight Pushing Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/60-minutes-private-equity-heavyweight-pushing-employee-ownership/) - May 5, 2024 60 Minutes segment on Pete Stavros, KKR, and employee ownership.
- [How Far Employee Ownership Has Come, How Much More Remains To Do](https://verit.com/how-far-employee-ownership-has-come-how-much-more-remains-to-do/) - “So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.” Willy Wonka How far employee ownership has come and how much opportunity remains. EO and employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, have been my passion for over 35 years, primarily as an advisor to family and private owners. They
- [Verit Advisors® to Speak at ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-esop-association-annual-conference-3/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the largest ESOP conference and trade show which will be held in Las Vegas on November 13-15, 2024, and hosted by The ESOP Association. Over 2,000 attendees are expected. “How To Be an Evergreen ESOP” is the topic of the panel Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO, will be discussing on Friday, November 15
- [Mary Josephs to Moderate Panel at Conscious Capitalism 2024 CEO Summit](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-to-moderate-panel-at-conscious-capitalism-2024-ceo-summit/) - Mary Josephs, Founder & CEO, Verit Advisors® will moderate a panel at the Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit in Austin, TX on October 23, 2024. This event is a premier invite-only experience for CEOs, Founders, and Presidents who want to build strong profitable businesses with “Conscious Leadership”. “Employee Ownership” has been long admired for strong culture,
- [ESOPs and the Growing Movement Toward Purposeful Business](https://verit.com/esops-and-the-growing-movement-toward-purposeful-business/) - For more than three decades, I have witnessed firsthand how employee ownership can build business owner liquidity and enable succession planning while creating worker wealth. Over time, it has become increasingly clear to me that the transformative power of employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, lies in more than just their financial structure. Rather, they’re
- [Employee Ownership Gains Big Momentum](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-gains-big-momentum/) - CBS’ “Sixty Minutes” devoted a segment to it. An Aspen Institute forum about it sold out. And Blackstone joined KKR in sharing it with workers in its portfolio companies. The growing interest in employee ownership, to which I’ve devoted my adult career as founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, is impressive. So much has happened
- [Mainstream Momentum in Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/mainsteam-momentum-in-employee-ownership/) - In March 2021, Verit predicted 2020 to be the decade of ESOPs. We at Verit Advisors are seeing the momentum to employee ownership continue and see it become more mainstream and part of Main Street America. We are excited to share with you three recent examples of this momentum. 1. The CBS newsmagazine "60 Minutes" most
- [Innovations and Evolutions in Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/innovations-and-evolutions-in-employee-ownership/) - April 2, 2024 Aspen Institute Employee Ownership Ideas Forum with Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing Presents "Innovation and Evolutions in Employee Ownership" panel.
- [Are You a Buyer or a Seller? Sound Strategies Will Ensure Your Company’s Best Outcome](https://verit.com/are-you-a-buyer-or-a-seller-sound-strategies-will-ensure-your-companys-best-outcome/) - Many private and ESOP-owned companies are adopting one of private equity’s core strategies, namely, growing through acquisitions. As I wrote in my previous blog,[1] this makes sense: To be successful, ESOP-owned and private businesses must continue to offer career opportunities for their talent, increase revenue faster than inflationary costs, and de-risk their operations, especially to
- [Potter Tech ESOP Video](https://verit.com/potter-tech-esop-video/) - Enjoy this video of Potter Tech announcing their employee ownership to the new employee owners. https://f.io/uoREvUxg
- [Mary Josephs to Moderate Panel at Employee Ownership Ideas Forum Hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-to-moderate-panel-at-employee-ownership-ideas-forum-hosted-by-the-aspen-institute-economic-opportunities-program/) - Mary Josephs, Founder & CEO, Verit Advisors® will moderate a panel at the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum 2024: Employee Ownership on the Ground on April 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The event is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and The Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers
- [Verit Advisors® Employees to Present at NCEO Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-employees-to-present-at-nceo-conference/) - Mary Josephs and Jake Cravens of Verit Advisors® will present at the 2024 Annual Employee Ownership Conference in Tampa, Florida April 29 through May 1, 2024 hosted by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). This conference provides education about best practices and industry trends in employee ownership. Jake Cravens, Managing Director, Verit Advisors®, will
- [Buying Other Companies: The Opportunities, Roadblocks, and Myths of Buy-Side M&A](https://verit.com/buying-other-companies-the-opportunities-roadblocks-and-myths-of-buy-side-ma/) - Susan Hoesly, CFA Principal, Verit Advisors Recently, there has been an uptick in the number of conversations ESOP companies are having about buying other companies, The NCEO estimates at least 400 acquisitions by ESOPs are done annually. As ESOPs have grown and matured, in many cases, their internal growth has slowed. As a leader at
- [Key Trends For ESOPS and Family Businesses Considering Acquisitions](https://verit.com/key-trends-for-esops-and-family-businesses-considering-acquisitions/) - In the world of private business advisory, where I have spent my 30-year career, M&A and transactions almost always means selling a partial or entire equity stake in the private business to an employee stock ownership plan (an “ESOP”), another company, or a private equity firm. That said, many private businesses want to maintain their
- [Mary Josephs to Speak at ESCA Leadership Summit](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-to-speak-at-esca-leadership-summit/) - Mary Josephs, CEO and Founder of Verit Advisors® will participate in the ESCA Leadership Summit in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, February 21 to 23, 2024. This is the 24th year for this conference and Verit has been present since the beginning of this important organization supporting S-ESOP companies. On Thursday, February 22, Mary will moderate a
- [Verit Advisors Completes Transaction for Stacy Witbeck](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-transaction-for-stacy-witbeck/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Stacy Witbeck to provide a comprehensive strategic alternatives analysis and support the execution of a 100% ESOP transaction. Verit provided expertise in ESOP structuring, valuation and debt capital markets. Stacy Witbeck, based in Alameda, CA, is a full-service contractor that can manage, and self-perform, the
- [A Holiday Silver Lining: The Countless Ways ESOPs Improve Their Communities](https://verit.com/a-holiday-silver-lining-the-countless-ways-esops-improve-their-communities/) - At this giving time of the year, I am especially proud of how employee-owners strive for the shared good of the communities where they live and work. You don’t find many Ebenezer Scrooges among them. With over two decades steeped in employee ownership-related knowledge, I maintain that ESOPs and their participants overwhelmingly orient their business
- [Owning It](https://verit.com/owning-it/) - If you missed the November 14, 2o23 discussion on "Owning It" here is your chance to watch it. Hosted by the University of Chicago Booth and the Rustandy Center. The panel includes Mary Josephs, Carey Chen, Jerry Randich and moderator Michael Zimmer.
- [Verit Advisors® to Speak at ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-esop-association-annual-conference-2/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the largest ESOP conference and trade show which will be held in Las Vegas on November 8 - 10, 2023 and hosted by The ESOP Association. The conference will be hosted in a hybrid format to support in-person and virtual attendance. On Thursday, November 9, 2023, Mary Josephs, Founder and
- [How Savvy ESOPs like Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods Excel at Staying Private](https://verit.com/how-savvy-esops-like-bobs-red-mill-natural-foods-excel-at-staying-private/) - Mary, what can I do to keep our company private? That’s the question I get most frequently from private business owners mulling their options or who have employee-ownership plans. With over 30 years advising and structuring hundreds of ownership transitions, I have a time-tested answer. It presents a compelling alternative in light of softening M&A
- [Experts Ponder, Why Aren't There More ESOPS?](https://verit.com/experts-ponder-why-arent-there-more-esops/) - With the preponderance of research on employee ownership demonstrating it generates superior performance and growth, improved culture and engagement, and distinctive wealth building for workers, why aren’t more companies embracing employee ownership? In my 30-plus years advising on ESOPs – and structuring and closing over 300 of them – I’ve continually asked that question. Still,
- [Mammoth Accounting ESOP Thrusts Professional Services Firms to Center Stage](https://verit.com/mammoth-accounting-esop-thrusts-professional-services-firms-to-center-stage/) - BDO USA established a landmark employee stock ownership plan on August 31 that gives its 10,000 U.S. employees a stake in the nation’s sixth-largest accounting firm. Its ESOP became the country’s 10th largest plan measured by employees, National Center for Employee Ownership data indicates. Motivating BDO, explains CEO Wayne Berson, was the desire to unlock
- [Verit Advisors® is Pleased to Announce the Sale of EA Collective to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-is-pleased-to-announce-the-sale-of-ea-collective-to-an-employee-stock-ownership-plan/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Chicago-based EA Collective to provide expertise in structuring an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction and capital raise that optimized the Company’s and shareholders’ objectives. Through the ESOP, the employees of EA Collective became 100% shareholders of the Company. EA Collective, founded in 1999, is
- [Do Your Employees Have the Unhappiness Blues? An ESOP May Offer the Cure](https://verit.com/do-your-employees-have-the-unhappiness-blues-an-esop-may-offer-the-cure/) - Do your employees love their jobs? Only about half of U.S. workers do, with job unhappiness at a staggering all-time high, Gallup finds. Three-in-five employees are considering resigning in 2023. What’s the cost of unhappy employees to American business and the economy’s productivity, performance and profits? At least half a trillion dollars annually, and that
- [Successfully Navigating the Changing Credit Markets](https://verit.com/successfully-navigating-the-changing-credit-markets/) - The credit and debt capital markets have experienced quite a bit of change over the last year as lenders and borrowers continue to navigate a new landscape due to the Fed’s interest rate policy, bank failures and continued, looming economic uncertainty. The financing markets have endured what has seemed to be continuous and sudden market
- [ESOP plans are growing in popularity as a great way for a business owner to exit](https://verit.com/esop-plans-are-growing-in-popularity-as-a-great-way-for-a-business-owner-to-exit/) - By Gene Marks Special to the Daily Herald Posted 5/21/2023 1:00 AM According to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than half of small-business owners are over the age of 50, and as these business owners age, many are starting to think about succession planning. One growing option for an exit is to
- [The Conscious Capitalists Podcast "The Employee Ownership Journey"](https://verit.com/the-conscious-capitalists-podcast-the-employee-ownership-journey/) - Click here to listen
- [Employee Ownership Fireside Chat](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-fireside-chat/) - Click Here to Watch
- [Three Verit Advisors® Employees Will Speak at the NCEO Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/three-verit-advisors-employees-will-speak-at-the-nceo-employee-ownership-conference/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) Employee Ownership Conference, April 25 to 27, 2023 in Kansas City. This annual conference is the premier gathering on employee ownership. In attendance from Verit Advisors will be Mary Josephs, John Solimine and Jake Cravens. On Tuesday, April 25 at 11:15 AM John
- [What is Your Plan?](https://verit.com/what-is-your-plan/) - Have you watched the television show “Succession?” And who hasn’t? Logan Roy is trying to figure out who should head up his company - Waystar Royco. Are you struggling with the same question with your family business? What if it is time to think about passing your company on to the next generation, but, there
- [Focus on Maximizing EBITDA To Gain Top Dollar for Your Private Business](https://verit.com/focus-on-maximizing-ebitda-to-gain-top-dollar-for-your-private-business/) - Frequently, owners of small businesses obsess about the multiple their company will fetch when sold. While the multiple is important – a business sold at 9 times EBITDA is worth 50 percent more than if sold at 6 times multiple – that focus can be misguided. That’s because the multiple of EBITDA, defined as earnings
- [Private Equity Leans Into the Flexibility of ESOPs](https://verit.com/private-equity-leans-into-the-flexibility-of-esops/) - From Middle Market Growth January 17, 2023 Carolyn Vallejo After decades of being overlooked, an ESOP evolution is making space for PE backers For middle-market private equity firms, investing in a business that’s already owned by employees may seem a dubious move. ESOPs (employee stock ownership plans) extend corporate ownership to a company’s employees, a
- [Verit Advisors® Issues Data from First ‘Employee Ownership Monitor’](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-issues-data-from-first-employee-ownership-monitor/) - Survey Shows ESOP Leaders’ Enthusiasm for the Structure Rises Over Time; Perceived Benefits Overwhelmingly Outweigh Regulatory Challenges Leaders of companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) overwhelmingly favor the plan structure for several reasons they believe deliver a competitive advantage, and their enthusiasm grows over time, according to a survey conducted by an independent research
- [Who Says Unions and ESOPs Don’t Mingle?](https://verit.com/who-says-unions-and-esops-dont-mingle/) - Unionization is on the rise. So is participation in employee stock option plans, or ESOPs. What gives? Isn’t trade unionism incompatible with employee ownership? That’s a myth. What’s increasingly clear as inflation outpaces wage gains is that unionism and employee ownership offer paths to economic equality for employees – and they often go together. Unionized
- [ESOPs Offer Relief in Today's Constrained Financing Environment](https://verit.com/esops-offer-relief-in-todays-constrained-financing-environment/) - In my 30 years as an investment banker to private and family-owned businesses, I have never seen the borrowing climate for deals change so sharply as it did in 2022. Financing for M&A and private equity transactions deteriorated dramatically as the year progressed, with third-quarter M&A financing down 70% from the previous quarter and buyout
- [Verit Advisors® to Speak at ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-esop-association-annual-conference/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the largest ESOP conference and trade show which will be held in Las Vegas on November 9 through 11, 2022 and hosted by The ESOP Association. The conference will be hosted in a hybrid format to support in-person and virtual attendance. Jake Cravens, Managing Director, will speak along with Jade
- [Employee Ownership Expert Sees Four Factors That Could Make the 2020s ‘The Decade of the ESOP’](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-expert-sees-four-factors-that-could-make-the-2020s-the-decade-of-the-esop/) - As an advocate and advisor on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and other forms of employee ownership for nearly a quarter-century, I have seen their positive impact on business owners, company performance and, especially, employees’ wealth creation. And given the renewed interest in ESOPs, I’ve even predicted that this will be the “Decade of the
- [Just Two Cheers for Patagonia’s Chouinard: Why Ignore an ESOP?](https://verit.com/just-two-cheers-for-patagonias-chouinard-why-ignore-an-esop/) - As a business advisor and outdoors enthusiast, I’ve long admired Yvon Chouinard. Protecting nature is one of four core values of Patagonia, the global outdoor apparel and equipment company he founded a half-century ago. Chouinard is also committed to the welfare of his employees, and Fortune even named it the “coolest company on the planet.”
- [Communities Benefit When Employee-Owned Companies Make Them Their Homes](https://verit.com/communities-benefit-when-employee-owned-companies-make-them-their-homes/) - One of the key impacts of the pandemic and the societal events of the past two years has been the rise of purpose-led companies. The keynote address at the recent 2022 National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) convention centered on how employee-owners work for the shared success and the good of their local communities. Purpose-driven
- [The Conscious Capitalist Podcast featuring Mary Josephs](https://verit.com/the-conscious-capitalist-podcast-featuring-mary-josephs/) - Employee Owners – Create Wealth and Drive Value!! Timothy Henry and Raj Sisodia talk with Mary Josephs about employee ownership. You can listen to the podcast here Or you can enjoy this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [Six Fearsome Economic Challenges Family Business Owners Can Face Down](https://verit.com/six-fearsome-economic-challenges-family-business-owners-can-face-down/) - Family business owners always manage through uncertainty, but the current environment is proving bafflingly hard to navigate. Owners face the highest inflation since 1981. The Fed is sharply hiking interest rates to stop a wage-and-price spiral. But that could trigger a recession yet this year, most economists think. All this is occurring as hiring continues
- [Congrats, Clif Bar! Its Sale to Mondelez Boosts Our View That This Is ‘The ESOP Decade’](https://verit.com/congrats-clif-bar-its-sale-to-mondelez-boosts-our-view-that-this-is-the-esop-decade/) - My heartiest and heartfelt congratulations to Clif Bar & Company and its employees on their landmark agreement to sell to Mondelēz International! The natural energy, nutrition and snack bar maker – 20% owned by its employees – sold itself for $2.9 billion, with additional earnout possibilities. Clif Bar and Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, its
- [New Survey: Employee-Owned Businesses Score Higher On Corporate Social Responsibility](https://verit.com/8652-2/) - From ESCA May 25, 2022 WASHINGTON – A new survey by John Zogby Strategies found that workers at private businesses owned by employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) place a higher priority on their companies’ commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) than employees at non-ESOP companies. The survey also found that employee-owned companies are more likely to deliver on
- [New Analysis Finds Exceptional Retirement Savings & Job Security For Employee-Owners](https://verit.com/new-analysis-finds-exceptional-retirement-savings-job-security-for-employee-owners/) - WASHINGTON – A new analysis by Ernst & Young (EY) finds that employee-owners of privately held businesses called “S corporations” (S ESOPs) benefit from far better retirement savings and job security compared with other U.S. workers. The analysis – which EY conducted on behalf of the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA) – examines trends in S
- [Verit Advisors® John Solimine Will Speak at the NCEO Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-john-solimine-will-speak-at-the-nceo-employee-ownership-conference/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) Employee Ownership Conference, April 26 to 28, 2022 in Seattle. This annual conference is the premier gathering on employee ownership. On Wednesday, April 27 at 3:45 PM, John Solimine, Managing Director at Verit Advisors®, will join a panel on “Financing for New and
- [In the War for Talent, Want an Advantage in Recruitment and Retention?](https://verit.com/in-the-war-for-talent-want-an-advantage-in-recruitment-and-retention/) - Why do employee-stock ownership plans enjoy an advantage over non-ESOPs in recruiting and retaining talent? Just check out the website and social media of Hypertherm, an employee-owned S-Corporation. The Hanover, N.H., global maker of advanced industrial cutting systems has been an ESOP since 2001 and 100% associate-owned since 2013 – and maintains that employee ownership
- [Improbable Schweitzer Engineering ESOP Story: Growth Company That Stayed Put](https://verit.com/improbable-schweitzer-engineering-esop-story-growth-company-that-stayed-put/) - One of America’s under-­appreciated relationships is the one between smaller cities and bigger companies, an often-­happy exchange of quality-of-­life for the combination of well-paying and skilled jobs, economic growth and stability, and corporate generosity to support cultural and educational institutions. For every Cummins Engine, approaching its 100th anniversary in 2019 as civic benefactor to Columbus,
- [Why Construction Companies Are Leading the ‘Decade of ESOPs’ Trend](https://verit.com/why-construction-companies-are-leading-the-decade-of-esops-trend/) - Family- or partner-owned construction and engineering (C&E) companies aren’t just laying foundations for their clients. Many are active participants in this decade’s trend of using employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, to build employee loyalty and retirement assets while increasing their founders’ wealth transfer options. Predominantly family- or partner-owned, C&E companies have long used employee
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors® Completes ESOP Transaction for BNBuilders](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-bnbuilders/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by BNBuilders to evaluate ownership succession alternatives including potential ESOP structures and related debt financing options. Verit provided expertise in ESOP structuring, valuation, and debt capital markets in connection with the Company’s review of strategic alternatives. BNBuilders provides general contracting services in all areas of construction
- [Instead of ‘I quit,’ workers at these companies say they’re staying put and reaping rewards](https://verit.com/instead-of-i-quit-workers-at-these-companies-say-theyre-staying-put-and-reaping-rewards/) - When workers are owners, they often get better benefits and a chance to build wealth. Some even build million-dollar retirement accounts. Feb. 1, 2022, 11:05 AM CST / Updated Feb. 1, 2022, 7:25 PM CST By Gretchen Morgenson and David Paredes, NBC News A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported, continue here
- [Values Like Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence Help Win Talent Wars, Outshine Rivals](https://verit.com/values-like-teamwork-integrity-excellence-help-win-talent-wars-outshine-rivals/) - When we founded Verit Advisors 12 years ago, we purposely embraced five values identified over 20 years of advising private culture-driven companies with an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). These values – Integrity, Partnerships, Excellence, Commitment and Innovation – are listed prominently and proudly on our website’s Overview page. Several clients have told me they
- [Verit Advisors LLC® Adds Associate Jen Bao](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-llc-adds-associate-jen-bao/) - Verit Advisors LLC® is pleased to announce that Jen Bao has joined the firm as an Associate. Ms. Bao will focus on transaction execution including the financial analysis, valuation and modeling of ESOP, M&A, Debt Capital and Board Advisory Services for Verit’s diverse client base. John Solimine, Managing Director, added, “Jen is a great addition to
- [Verit Advisors, LLC® Adds Principal Susan A. Hoesly](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-llc-adds-principal-susan-a-hoesly/) - Verit Advisors, LLC® is pleased to announce that Susan A. Hoesly has joined the firm as a Principal. Ms. Hoesly will support our growth, focusing on a wide range of transactions and advisory services including ESOPs, Debt Capital Markets, M&A, Restructuring, and Board Advisory Services for middle market companies. Mary Josephs commented, “We are excited
- [Business Owners: Stars May Align for a Sale, But Don’t Forget Wealth, Tax Planning](https://verit.com/business-owners-stars-may-align-for-a-sale-but-dont-forget-wealth-tax-planning/) - With the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic (hopefully) behind us, three positive signals appear to make this a great time for business owners to consider selling at least a stake in their companies: Abundant equity and low-cost debt financing, attractive valuations for private businesses, and the prospect of higher tax rates. They make a disposal,
- [Opposites Attract: Why Financial Services Firms and ESOPS Are Made For Each Other](https://verit.com/opposites-attract-why-financial-services-firms-and-esops-are-made-for-each-other/) - While employee stock ownership plans are popular with manufacturers and professional services firms, ESOPs and financial institutions would seem to be strange bedfellows. Yet commercial and investment banks, insurance brokerages, wealth management and real estate organizations are the third most common users of these plans, accounting for nearly one-sixth of the nation’s roughly 6,600 ESOPs.
- [Every Family-Owned Company and ESOP Should Consider ESG](https://verit.com/every-family-owned-company-and-esop-should-consider-esg/) - A new three-letter business acronym has emerged on the scene. While most public companies have become familiar with it, now family-owned businesses and employee stock ownership companies need to take notice. It’s ESG – short for Environment, Social and Governance – and these initials represent the three main pillars of sustainable investing and business ownership.
- [Verit Advisors® Promotes Jake Cravens to Managing Director](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-promotes-jake-cravens-to-managing-director/) - Verit Advisors® has promoted Jake Cravens to Managing Director from Principal effective immediately. Mr. Cravens joined Verit in 2015 and is a CFA® charterholder. Mr. Cravens leads transaction execution across a wide range of advisory services including M&A, ESOPs, Valuation, and Debt Capital Markets. He has significant transaction execution experience across diverse industry verticals including
- [Verit Advisors® Team Members Will Speak at the Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-team-members-will-speak-at-the-employee-ownership-conference-3/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) Employee Ownership Conference virtually, April 20 and 21, 2021. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership. On Tuesday, April 20 at 12:30 EST, John Solimine, Managing Director at Verit Advisors® will join a panel on “ESOP Financing int Today’s Economy.”
- [Video: Verit Advisors’ Mary Josephs Demystifies the Rising Popularity of PE-Backed ESOPs](https://verit.com/video-verit-advisors-mary-josephs-demystifies-the-rising-popularity-of-pe-backed-esops/) - With major companies like Harley-Davidson offering them, employee stock ownership plans are on a very clear rise to prominence. Verit Advisors founder and CEO Mary Josephs – one of Mergers & Acquisitions’ 2021 Top 25 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A – shares her expert insight into the driving forces behind this trend. https://youtu.be/cQPqnu04hZU Employee ownership offers a “win-win-win,” Josephs says. “You get
- [How PE Firms are Embracing Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/how-pe-firms-are-embracing-employee-ownership/) - Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine, March 3, 2021 The pioneering experience of global investment giant KKR & Co. and its Industrial Group, led by partner Peter Stavros, helped spur the trend. Starting in 2011, KKR began using a broad-based employee engagement model that seeks to make every worker in a U.S. manufacturer it acquires an owner. As in the classic
- [2021 Could Launch The ‘Decade of The ESOP’](https://verit.com/2021-could-launch-the-decade-of-the-esop/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that the brisk financing activity that began in the second half of 2020, following the near halt when the coronavirus pandemic hit one year ago, will continue in 2021 and beyond. These middle market-friendly conditions will support the growing trend in ESOP formation as a strategy for private business owners to
- [Mary Josephs Named One of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A by Mergers & Acquisition Magazine](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-named-one-of-the-most-influential-women-in-mid-market-ma-by-mergers-acquisition-magazine/) - Mergers & Acquisitions’ magazine has released their list of the 25 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A. Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors® was recognized on this list for the fifth straight year. The list honors consummate deal makers who are also champions of change and powerful advocates of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- [Verit Advisors Newsletter January 2021](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-newsletter-january-2021/) - Here is what’s new at Verit Advisors ® Recent Transactions Despite the impacts of COVID-19, Verit had a very active 2020 including new ESOP advisory, strategic alternatives, M&A and Board Advisory engagements. Verit Advisors® advised a private equity-owned consumer products company on ESOP sale alternatives, which ultimately led to the company becoming a 100%
- [Looking Past the Pandemic:  ESOPs, Employee Ownership Companies Set to Outperform in Anticipated 2021 Recovery](https://verit.com/looking-past-the-pandemic-esops-employee-ownership-companies-set-to-outperform-in-anticipated-2021-recovery/) - What’s the new year’s outlook for ESOPs and companies with substantial employee ownership? While COVID-19 makes the crystal ball unusually murky, economists and indicators we follow suggest these companies should fare better than other businesses, both in their operating and financial results as well as in merger and acquisition activity. In general, leading economists expect
- [Josephs Participates in U of Chicago Panel on Women's Role During the Pandemic](https://verit.com/josephs-participates-in-u-of-chicago-panel-on-womens-role-during-the-pandemic/) - Join the University of Chicago for the Panorama experience next week - one of the events features a panel hosted by the Chicago Women's Alliance. CWA is proud to feature the thoughts of Westina Matthews, Ph.D., Mary Sullivan Josephs, Melody Peiyi L., 🦉 Kate Volzer, and Devshi Mehrotra during Living, Landing, Leaving and Leading: Women’s Unique Role in the Workforce during the COVID-19
- [The smart—and enduring—way to say thank you to essential workers](https://verit.com/the-smart-and-enduring-way-to-say-thank-you-to-essential-workers/) - December 21, 2020 12:03 PM Crain's Chicago Business The food industry runs on cheap labor. Here’s how to change that business model for the better. MALINI RAM MORAGHAN Torana Group The pandemic is shining a bright light on an uncomfortable fact: The workers we deem essential are rarely treated like it. We see this in
- [Private Equity and Employee Share Ownership Symposium to be Held November 20, 2020](https://verit.com/private-equity-and-employee-share-ownership-symposium-to-be-held-november-20-2020/) - The 3rd Annual Private Equity and Employee Share Ownership Symposium will be held Friday, November 20, 2020 at 9:00 EDT. This complimentary seminar is hosted by Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations and their Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Verit Advisors® CEO, Mary Josephs will make the opening remarks
- [Opening Remarks from 3rd Annual Private Equity and Employee Share Ownership Symposium](https://verit.com/opening-remarks-from-3rd-annual-private-equity-and-employee-share-ownership-symposium/) - Enjoy the opening remarks at the 3rd Annual Private Equity and Employee Share Ownership Symposium video here.
- [Employee Ownership Promotes Racial Equality](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-promotes-racial-equality/) - As our nation grapples with thorny issues of racial equality, Verit Advisors’ view is that companies with employee ownership are inherently a force for change. Equity participation benefits all employees, and research shows it helps counter the persistent wealth disparity that is correlated with race. Most of our conversations with clients since the start of
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors® Completes ESOP Transaction for Tecolote Research](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-tecolote-research/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Tecolote Research to structure their partial ESOP to 100% ESOP transaction. Verit provided expertise in ESOP structuring, valuation and debt capital markets. Tecolote Research is based in Santa Barbara, CA and provides decision support, program management, project controls, and software solutions. James Takayesu, President/CEO of
- [Bank and Non-Bank Lenders Reopen For Business](https://verit.com/bank-and-non-bank-lenders-reopen-for-business/) - Today's guest blogger is John Solimine, founding member and Managing Director of Verit Advisors® When we published our introduction to the non-bank debt market and what family and private companies needed to know about it in January, lending activity was poised to achieve record levels. Following a strong 2019, loan markets were at their highest
- [Six Reasons Why Now Is a Good Time to Consider an ESOP](https://verit.com/six-reasons-why-now-is-a-good-time-to-consider-an-esop/) - Dealing with challenges created by COVID-19 and facing a likely recession, many family-owned and private businesses have postponed thoughts of selling their businesses. But as owners become more adept at managing through the “new normal” – and especially as they eye potential tax changes next year -- more of them will again consider their future
- [Pragmatic Steps to Get You Through This COVID-19     ‘Fog of War’](https://verit.com/pragmatic-steps-to-get-you-through-this-covid-19-fog-of-war/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that having weathered the early chaotic weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, leaders of family-owned and private companies can focus on practical steps and actions that others have taken in other crisis situations. The relentless pace and volume of new coronavirus-related business information is mind-numbing. I liken it to the fog of
- [Leadership Lessons For Turbulent Times](https://verit.com/leadership-lessons-for-turbulent-times/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that in volatile and disruptive times like these, leaders of family-owned and private companies possess advantages for steering their organizations to better days ahead. As the country’s oldest family-owned business, the Avedis Zildjian Company – the world’s largest cymbal and drumstick maker – has endured countless disruptions since its founding in
- [Mary Josephs Recognized With Women Leaders and Top Dealmakers Award](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-recognized-with-women-leaders-and-top-dealmakers-award/) - On March 5, 2020, Verit Advisors® Founder and CEO, Mary Josephs will be one of several women recognized with the U.S.A: Women Leaders & Top Dealmakers Award in Washington, DC. This is the second year for the award which is presented by Global M&A Network. The recognition ceremony will be held during the U.S.A. Growth
- [There’s a Reason Why These Companies are Top-Notch: They’re ESOPs](https://verit.com/theres-a-reason-why-these-companies-are-top-notch-theyre-esops/) - Perhaps your class ring came from Herff Jones, you wear clothes made with W. L. Gore & Associates’ waterproof Gore-Tex fabric, admire Herman Miller furniture and enjoy books from W.W. Norton & Company. Or, maybe you’ve bought culinary supplies from King Arthur Flour, shopped at Publix Super Markets, Hy-Vee or WinCo Foods, and gotten retirement
- [Verit View: Non-Bank Lenders Say ‘Welcome!’ to Private and Family Businesses](https://verit.com/verit-view-non-bank-lenders-say-welcome-to-private-and-family-businesses/) - By John Solimine, Founding Member and Managing Director Verit Advisors’ view is that with the expansion of non-bank capital available to middle market businesses since the Great Recession, private and family businesses should consider non-bank capital as a viable alternative to traditional bank borrowing. When talking with private, multi-generational family business owners and their executive
- [Verit Advisors® Promotes Jake Cravens to Principal](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-promotes-jake-cravens-to-principal/) - Verit Advisors® has promoted Jake Cravens to Principal from Vice President effective immediately. Mr. Cravens joined Verit in 2015 and is a CFA® charterholder. Mr. Cravens leads transaction execution across a wide range of advisory services including M&A, ESOPs, Valuation, and Debt Capital Markets. He has significant transaction execution experience across diverse industry verticals including
- [Mergers & Acquisition Magazine Names Mary Josephs Named One of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A](https://verit.com/mergers-acquisition-magazine-names-mary-josephs-named-one-of-the-most-influential-women-in-mid-market-ma/) - Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors® has been named to Mergers & Acquisitions’ Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A for the fourth year in a row. This year the publication selected 42 women who are outstanding dealmakers inside and outside of their firms. “I am very honored to be recognized by Mergers &
- [As National Van Lines’ ESOP CEO Maureen Beal Nears Retirement, She Sits for an Interview with Mary Josephs](https://verit.com/as-national-van-lines-esop-ceo-maureen-beal-nears-retirement-she-sits-for-an-interview-with-mary-josephs/) - For nearly a decade, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Maureen Beal, the third-generation owner and chairman and CEO of National Van Lines, the national company whose brand is synonymous with “moving.” Maureen, who began as a teen switchboard operator at the company and then in 1993 took the helm after
- [Mary Josephs of Verit Advisors named to 2020 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-of-verit-advisors-named-to-2020-most-influential-women-in-mid-market-ma/) - Mergers & Acquisition 2020 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A
- [A small tech company tried it all to stop employee turnover. Only one thing worked](https://verit.com/a-small-tech-company-tried-it-all-to-stop-employee-turnover-only-one-thing-worked/) - Click to read A small tech company tried it all to stop employee turnover. Only one thing worked
- [Mary Josephs to Present at AICPA Construction and Real Estate Conference](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-to-present-at-aicpa-construction-and-real-estate-conference/) - Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors® will present at the The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) Construction and Real Estate Conference on Friday, December 6, 2019 in Nashville, TN. Ms. Josephs will present “ESOPs and Shareholder Liquidity, Employee Engagement and Executive Compensation.” This session will dive deep into the tax and
- [Verit Advisors® Completes ESOP Transaction for W&W Glass](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-ww-glass/) - CHICAGO, IL ­Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, advised W&W Glass, Inc. on ESOP transaction alternatives, which ultimately led to W&W Glass becoming a 100% ESOP-owned company. W&W Glass is based in New York and is the leading contractor for the New York City construction market in the installation of complex curtain wall façade
- [Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for Dixie Plywood and Lumber Company](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-dixie-plywood-and-lumber-company/) - CHICAGO, IL ­— Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, advised Dixie Plywood and Lumber Company on ESOP transaction alternatives, which ultimately led to Dixie Plywood becoming a 100% ESOP-owned company. Dixie Plywood, headquartered in Savannah, GA, is currently celebrating 75 years in operation as one of the largest independent wholesale distributors of building materials.
- [Verit Advisors to Participate at ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-participate-at-esop-association-annual-conference/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the largest ESOP conference and trade show which will be held in Las Vegas on November 13 through 15 and hosted by The ESOP Association. Mary Josephs will moderate a panel on November 14 called “Strategic Alternatives for Partially ESOP-owned companies.” This panel will discuss the challenges partial ESOP ownership
- [For Goodness's Sake, Start Teaching About Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/for-goodnesss-sake-start-teaching-about-employee-ownership/) - Verit View Verit Advisors’ view is that business and law schools and university finance and accounting departments must grasp the necessity of teaching students about employee ownership. At a time when employee engagement is essential for any organization’s success in this full-employment economy, addressing this gap in professionals’ education will help boost the U.S. economy.
- [Mary Josephs Named by Private Board Directors 2019 Directors to Watch](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-named-by-private-board-directors-2019-directors-to-watch/) - Directors to Watch 2019
- [Mary Josephs Recognized by Private Company Directors Magazine](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-recognized-by-private-company-directors-magazine/) - Private Company Directors magazine has announced their 2019 list of Directors to Watch and Mary Josephs, CEO of Verit Advisors® has been named to that list. These top directors not only exemplify the very best in board service, they uniformly find that the structures and opportunities of private company board service enable them to have
- [Verit Advisors Founder Mary Josephs Named to Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Entrepreneurs List](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-founder-mary-josephs-named-to-crains-chicago-business-notable-entrepreneurs-list/) - Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors and a recognized authority on family and private company finance, has been named to Crain’s Chicago Business’s 2019 Notable Entrepreneurs list. Crain's list of Notable Entrepreneurs includes 44 businesspeople who have identified needs and opportunities in the market, organized and run companies, and taken on greater-than-normal financial
- [](https://verit.com/2674-2/) - Josephs Named to Crains Notable Entrepreneurs 2019
- [Verit Advisors John Solimine to Speak at Midwest ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisorsr-john-solimine-to-speak-at-midwest-esop-conference/) - Verit Advisors® announces that John Solimine, will participate as a panelist at the Midwest ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Conference September 11-13, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Solimine is speaking with Andy Daly of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, LLP, in a session titled “A Hat for Every Occasion” on Thursday, September 12, 2019. John
- [What To Do If There's No Heir In Sight?](https://verit.com/what-to-do-if-theres-no-heir-in-sight/) - While a clear majority of family business owners want to pass along the reins to the next generation, what happens when no heir is in sight? The situation arises more frequently these days as two-in-five owners – an estimated 60% of whom are over 55 – expect to retire, and less than half of those
- [Not a Fad, CEO Activism is Vital](https://verit.com/not-a-fad-ceo-activism-is-vital/) - Verit View Verit Advisors’ view is that CEOs must evaluate and determine their companies’ social purpose and lead in ensuring their organizations achieve that corporate intent and responsibility for the sake of their stakeholders and society. In today’s fragmented world, should a CEO be an activist in critical areas of social and moral responsibility? In
- [Make Your ESOP Work for YOU](https://verit.com/make-your-esop-work-for-you/) - Congratulations. You’ve completed your paperwork, met the Department of Labor criteria and successfully established your employee stock ownership plan (it took a while, didn’t it?). You’re now half the way there. In order to perform better and reap the clear benefits an ESOP can generate, you must couple employee ownership with employee engagement. It starts
- [Celebrating Michael Keeling, ESOP Champion and Farsighted Leader](https://verit.com/celebrating-michael-keeling-esop-champion-and-farsighted-leader/) - Attending last year’s annual national conference of the ESOP Association, I marveled at how it has grown. Once a gathering of roughly several dozen people, it has become the premier conference of employee ownership advocates, with nearly 1,000 attendees. Many people have contributed to the success of the ESOP movement over the past three decades,
- [For Family Businesses, Strong Governance Is the Secret to Managing Risk](https://verit.com/for-family-businesses-strong-governance-is-the-secret-to-managing-risk/) - Verit View Verit Advisors’ view is that in today’s always-on digital world, where disruption abounds, family-owned businesses must consider good governance and strong risk controls as priorities in order to grow and prosper for future generations. In our experience, family-owned businesses generally view governance like castor oil: While it must be swallowed to keep you
- [Verit Advisors® Team Members Will Speak at the Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-team-members-will-speak-at-the-employee-ownership-conference-2/) - Verit Advisors® will participate in the NCEO (National Center for Employee Ownership) Employee Ownership Conference in Pittsburgh, April 9 to 11, 2019. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership and over 1,800 attendees are expected. Verit Advisors’ CEO, Mary Josephs, will participate on a panel titled “Pre-Transaction and Ongoing Diligence for Optimal
- [Consider an ESOP as Your First, Not Last, Resort](https://verit.com/consider-an-esop-as-your-first-not-last-resort/) - Despite appealing reasons for business owners to establish an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, an enormous knowledge gap exists that prevents many owners from even considering one. Many view an ESOP as the last resort when contemplating an eventual retirement or succession plan, believing it too complicated. If that’s your view, let me address
- [2019 ESCA Leadership Summit to be Held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida](https://verit.com/2019-esca-leadership-summit-to-be-held-in-ft-lauderdale-florida/) - ESCA and the Foundation for Private Employee Ownership will hold their annual Leadership Summit February 20-22 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This annual summit brings together top executives from S corporation ESOP companies and senior ESOP professionals from around the country. A key highlight of the conference is hearing from key members of Congress and the
- [Employee Ownership Plans Podcasts](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-plans-podcasts/) - The University of Chicago Booth Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation hosts a series of podcasts. In this episode, Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, discusses employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) and their role in entrepreneurship through acquisitions. She provides listeners with an overview of ESOPs, how they work, and their role as a corporate
- [How to Future-Proof Your Business](https://verit.com/verit-view-q1-2019/) - Verit View- Q1 2019 Verit Advisors’ view is that rising interest rates, the threat of an economic slowdown and intensifying global trade spats are playing havoc with business planning for 2019, including at middle market and family companies. However, there are concrete actions business owners can take to prepare for choppier waters – and here
- [Mary Josephs Q & A featured in The Dealmaker Quarterly](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-q-a-featured-in-the-dealmaker-quarterly/) - Mary Josephs recently answered some questions for the Dealmaker Quarterly regarding her career and working in M&A. Read here
- [Mary Josephs Named One of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-named-one-of-the-most-influential-women-in-mid-market-ma/) - Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors® has been named to Mergers & Acquisitions’ Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A for the third year in a row. This year the publication selected 36 women who are outstanding dealmakers inside and outside of their firms. Ms. Josephs has spent her career advising and structuring ownership
- [Three Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Sold My Business](https://verit.com/three-things-i-wish-id-known-before-i-sold-my-business/) - What should I know before I sell my business? That question, more than any other, is asked by clients and prospects. Having advised on the sale of more than 300 small- and medium-sized, often family-owned, businesses during my 30-plus years as a middle-market investment banker, here’s an insider’s perspective on the three key elements sellers
- [Verit Advisors Executives to Present at the ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-executives-to-present-at-the-esop-association-annual-conference-2/) - The largest ESOP conference in the world will be held in Las Vegas on November 8 and 9 2018. Mary Josephs and Rob Ruszkowski of Verit Advisors will be on panels at the Las Vegas ESOP Conference & Trade Show at Caesars Palace. Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors will be a panelist
- [Focus on Leadership, Talent Development to Improve Operating & Exit Outcomes](https://verit.com/focus-on-leadership-talent-development-to-improve-operating-exit-outcomes/) - When conferring with a close advisor before starting Verit Advisors, he counseled that my No. 1 responsibility as CEO was to think about talent every day. “Always be looking for talent, develop a bench of future talent and cultivate the talent you have,” he advised. The critical importance of leadership and talent development for privately
- [Verit View- October 2018](https://verit.com/verit-view-october-2018/) - Focus on Leadership, Talent Development to Improve Operating & Exit Outcomes Verit Advisors’ view is that business owners must build a commitment throughout the organization to develop talent; not only will it help their business grow more quickly, it can spell the difference between having a range of options for keeping a business private or
- [September 2018 – Here is what’s new at Verit Advisors ®](https://verit.com/september-2018-here-is-whats-new-at-verit-advisors/) - Has the U.S. Economy Reached A Tipping Point? Over the last several months, discussion in the markets and amongst business owners has turned to focus on timing. Some are optimistic and believe the U.S. can continue riding the wave of economic growth as evidenced by GDP growth, low unemployment, and strong corporate earnings. The current
- [To Gain Top Dollar for Your Private Business, Focus on Maximizing Its EBITDA, Not Its Multiple](https://verit.com/to-gain-top-dollar-for-your-private-business-focus-on-maximizing-its-ebitda-not-its-multiple/) - All too often, owners of small businesses obsess about the multiple their company will fetch when sold. While the multiple is important – a business sold at 9 times EBITDA is worth 50 percent more than if sold at 6 times multiple – that focus can be misguided. That’s because the multiple of EBITDA, defined
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors® Completes ESOP Transaction for Max Auto Supply Company](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-max-auto-supply-company/) - Verit Advisors®, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, is pleased to announce the completion of the 100% sale of Max Auto Supply Company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Max Auto is the largest franchisee of Midas auto care and repair centers in the country with locations across Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and
- [Verit View - June 2018](https://verit.com/verit-view-june-2018/) - Middle Market M&A: It’s More Than Just Identifying the Buyer We all know that M&A is about finding the best buyer. Verit Advisors’ view is that preparation and process are critically important to finding and closing the best buyer. The M&A process, whether it involve an ESOP, PE, or strategic buyer, takes time, expertise, and
- [Fast Facts on ESOPs](https://verit.com/fast-facts-on-esops/) - The first half of 2018 has seen an increase in middle market M&A, particularly with respect to privately held businesses. Many of these business owners are directly interested in employee ownership as an alternative alongside traditional M&A strategies such as a strategic or private equity buyer. Interest in ESOPs seems to be fueled by three
- [Verit Advisors® Mary Josephs to Speak at AICPA Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-mary-josephs-to-speak-at-aicpa-conference/) - Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors® will present at the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Engage conference June 9 -14, 2018 in Las Vegas. Mary Josephs will present on Thursday, June 14 on the topic of “Tax free Sale of Business to ESOP.” ESOPs have compelling personal and corporate tax incentives as well
- [Verit Team Will Speak at The ESOP Association’s 41st Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-employees-will-speak-at-the-esop-associations-41st-annual-conference/) - Mary Josephs and Rob Ruszkowski will present at The ESOP Association’s Conference themed “Better Together” on May 24-25, 2018 in Washington, DC. Mary Josephs will join Aziz El-Tahch, Stout, on the topic “Legal and Fiduciary Issues with the Sale of an ESOP-Owned Company” on Friday, May 25. This session will focus on the issues confronted
- [May 2018 - Here is what's new at Verit Advisors ®](https://verit.com/may-2018-here-is-whats-new-at-verit-advisors/) - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Opportunities for Middle Market Verit Advisors’ view is that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act alters the tax landscape and creates a unique opportunity for companies to examine both corporate strategy and structure in light of stakeholder objectives. The cut in the corporate tax rate in particular is a cornerstone
- [Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction with AArete, Inc.](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-with-aarete-inc/) - AArete, Inc. today announced the implementation of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), giving its employees a stake through share ownership in the company. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, advised AArete on ESOP sale alternatives, which ultimately led to the ESOP transaction. AArete is an advanced data analytics-driven management consulting firm in Chicago
- [Verit Advisors Team Members Will Speak at the Employee Ownership Conference NCEO Annual Conference in Atlanta](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-team-members-will-speak-at-the-employee-ownership-conference-nceo-annual-conference-in-atlanta/) - Verit Advisors will participate in the NCEO Employee Ownership Conference (NCEO) in Atlanta, April 18 to 20, 2018. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership and over 1,700 attendees are expected. Verit Advisors’ CEO, Mary Josephs, will participate on a panel titled “Grow or Sell: Key issues in Mergers and Acquisitions with
- [Verit Advisors® Mary Josephs to Participate in ACG’s Middle Market Manufacturing Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-mary-josephs-participate-acgs-middle-market-manufacturing-conference/) - Verit Advisors® announces that Mary Josephs will moderate a panel at the Middle Market Manufacturing Conference February 27, 2018 in Chicago. Ms. Josephs topic is “Women in Manufacturing.” This panel includes Linda McGill Boasmond, President - Cedar Concepts, Marion Cameron, CEO - Sipi Metals, Janice Christiansen, President & CEO - J.C. Schultz / The FlagSource
- [2018 ESCA Leadership Summit to be Held in Naples, Florida](https://verit.com/2018-esca-leadership-summit-held-naples-florida/) - ESCA and the Foundation for Private Employee Ownership will hold their annual Leadership Summit February 21-23 in Naples, Florida. This annual summit brings together top executives from S corporation ESOP companies and senior ESOP professionals from around the country. A key highlight of the conference is hearing from key members of Congress and the Administration
- [Verit View-February 2018](https://verit.com/verit-view-february-2018/) - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Opportunities for Middle Market Verit Advisors’ view is that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act alters the tax landscape and creates a unique opportunity for companies to examine both corporate strategy and structure in light of stakeholder objectives. The cut in the corporate tax rate in particular is a cornerstone
- [Acquired Taste](https://verit.com/acquired-taste/) - Chicago Booth Magazine Winter 2018 Three alumni working in mergers and acquisitions recount how they navigated a joint-venture partnership in a new market, founded a client-centric M&A boutique, and helped a large firm divest for future success. Dwight McCardwell, ’00, Vice President of Finance at the Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, Michigan Dwight McCardwell, ‘00 The
- [More Than a Paycheck](https://verit.com/more-than-a-paycheck/) - Dennis Campbell, John Case, Bill Fotsch From the January-February 2018 Harvard Business Review Issue Fifty years ago Americans knew exactly what constituted a good job for a blue-collar worker: a position with a large manufacturer such as General Motors or Goodyear or U.S. Steel. Often unionized, it paid well and offered good benefits. It was
- [Mergers & Acquisitions 2018's Most Influential Women](https://verit.com/mergers-acquisitions-2018s-influential-women/) - By Elliot M. Kass Born in Skokie, Illinois, Mary Josephs was the sixth of 12 children. She left the crowded nest to enroll in nearby Marquette University with the intention of becoming a physical therapist, but the heavy load of science courses, the all-girl PT program and no opportunity to study abroad abruptly changed her mind.
- [Owning Engagement](https://verit.com/owning-engagement/) - Brunswick Review 18 October 2017 By Mary Josephs Investigating the effect of employee stock ownership plans on staff engagement and productivity If you’ve ever been in a Publix Super Markets store and wondered why the service is fantastic, it’s because most of the nearly 200,000 employees are owners. Curious about how W.L. Gore grew into
- [Verit Advisors® Executives to Speak At ESOP Conference in Las Vegas](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-executives-speak-esop-conference-las-vegas/) - Mary Josephs and Rob Ruszkowski of Verit Advisors® will both present at the ESOP Conference & Trade Show in Las Vegas on November 9 and 10, 2017. This is the largest ESOP conference held. Rob Ruszkowski, Principal at Verit Advisors, will participate on a panel Thursday, November 9 on “Interdisciplinary Panel on Current ESOP Events.”
- [Verit View - October 2017](https://verit.com/verit-view-october-2017/) - Can Your Company Go the Distance? Verit Advisors’ view is that companies that endure distinguish themselves by sustaining a vibrant, flexible culture. As competitors descended on Chicago to run the marathon this past weekend, Verit began to examine the art of endurance. Over 40,000 runners trained for months in order to make it through
- [Josephs explores why ESOPs are growing in popularity and appealing to private equity investors](https://verit.com/josephs-explores-esops-growing-popularity-appealing-private-equity-investors/) - In this episode of the Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast, Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, speaks with MMG Editor Deborah Cohen about employee stock ownership plans. Private equity has traditionally been cautious in dealing with ESOPs, but the model offers benefits, including for talent retention, that’s changing investor sentiment. To hear more interviews with middle-market
- [Verit Advisors® Mary Josephs to Speak at Great Lakes ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-mary-josephs-speak-great-lakes-esop-conference/) - Verit Advisors® announces that Mary Josephs, will participate as a panelist at the Great Lakes Regional ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Conference October 19-20, 2017 in Sandusky, Ohio. Ms. Josephs topic is “Unique Issues Involved in Professional and Personal Service Companies with ESOPs.” The presentation is Thursday, October 19 at 10:15 AM. Joining Ms. Josephs
- [More Women Take on Role of CFO — at Home](https://verit.com/women-take-role-cfo-home/) - As founder and CEO of Chicago investment bank Verit Advisors, Mary Josephs is used to setting goals — and crushing them. And she approaches managing her family’s wealth in the same way. Josephs relishes the task of being deeply involved in her household finances, which includes saving for her five children’s education, planning for retirement
- [Verit Advisors Mary Josephs to Speak at Midwest ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-mary-josephs-speak-midwest-esop-conference/) - Verit Advisors announces that Mary Josephs, will participate as a panelist at the Midwest ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Conference September 6-8, 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska. Ms. Josephs topic is “Anatomy of a Live ESOP Transaction.” The presentation is Friday, September 9 at 9:15 AM. This panel will provide the attendee an understanding of the
- [The Verit View – November 2016](https://verit.com/verit-view-november-2016/) - The Verit View is that the marketplace for talent is fundamentally changing, challenging business leadership as critically as technological change has, and failure to adjust could cause even the most successful companies to stumble. Everywhere the Verit team travels these days, conversations with company leaders start out about capital raising, M&A transactions and business strategy
- [Verit Advisors Adds Associate Kelsey Neal](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-adds-associate-kelsey-neal/) - Kelsey Neal has joined Verit Advisors as an Associate in their Chicago office. Neal will contribute to Verit’s conversion and transaction execution team with an emphasis on M&A, ESOP Advisory and Valuation Services. Prior to joining Verit, Neal worked at Robert W. Baird & Co. as a member of Baird’s Investment Banking division within the
- [The Secret Behind One Company's Improbable 30-Year Productivity Boom](https://verit.com/secret-behind-one-companys-improbable-30-year-productivity-boom/) - If you’re running a middle market company these days, you’re acutely aware of twin economic forces working against your success: first, there’s a worldwide slowdown in productivity growth pinching margins and, indeed, dampening the entire economy; second, labor markets have tightened dramatically, and all companies are struggling to hang onto their better workers and to
- [Durable Management Structures At Middle Market Firms: Q&A With Moss Adams Partner Steranka](https://verit.com/durable-management-structures-middle-market-firms-qa-moss-adams-partner-steranka/) - Just about every growth company hits the wall at some point, its increasing sales and client numbers overwhelming the founders’ ability to manage. In these companies, all decision making is routed through a founder. All the customers are brought in by a founder. And key decisions on finance, hiring and technology are made by a
- [Mary Josephs Named One of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-named-one-influential-women-mid-market-ma/) - The second edition of Mergers & Acquisitions’ special report celebrates 35 leading female transaction professionals, including Mary Josephs, CEO, Verit Advisors. Released on January 3, 2017, the report mentions the challenges women face in achieving top-tier status in financial services are particularly acute in the middle market, where women account for only 14 percent of
- [The Verit View - January 2017](https://verit.com/verit-view-january-2017/) - A Shifting M&A Environment: How To Avoid Earn-Outs The Verit View is that, in times of growing economic uncertainty, the perceptions of would-be buyers and sellers of companies tend to diverge, and now is such a time, presenting business owners with both risk and opportunity. An excess of capital, and the favorable benchmark of rising
- [How To Solve America's Retirement Savings Crisis](https://verit.com/solve-americas-retirement-savings-crisis/) - It might seem weird, but a serious worry I carry around for my five young-adult children – on top of concerns about their health and happiness – is whether they’ll ever be able to afford to retire. My father was a county judge and fortunate to have a public-sector pension to retire on. My husband
- [After Katrina, Acadian Ambulance’s Everyday  Heroics: Bayou Rescues, Self-Sufficient Retirees](https://verit.com/katrina-acadian-ambulances-everyday-heroics-bayou-rescues-self-sufficient-retirees/) - Many of us had an uncle who fought in World War II – the most significant event of their lifetimes – and yet didn’t talk about it much. Richard Zuschlag’s war was Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 disaster that left more than 1,200 people dead, caused more than $100 billion in damages and laid bare every
- [Verit Advisors Team Members Will Speak at the Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-team-members-will-speak-employee-ownership-conference/) - Verit Advisors, a sponsor of the NCEO Employee Ownership Conference (NCEO) in Denver, April 4 to 6, 2017 will participate in multiple sessions. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership and over 1,600 attendees are expected. Verit Advisors’ CEO, Mary Josephs, will participate on a panel titled “Case Study - The Sale
- [U.S. Manufacturing Labor Shortage: How To Make Your Company A Happy Exception](https://verit.com/u-s-manufacturing-labor-shortage-make-company-happy-exception/) - A typical manufacturing company right now is enjoying strong orders and – foreign currency issues aside – widening margins, as the U.S. economy shows unexpected strength and many overseas markets, while perhaps less robust, are mostly holding their own. In my recent visits with CEOs in manufacturing, we’ve spent a few moments discussing what could
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for LOGS Group, LLC](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-logs-group-llc/) - Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by LOGS Group, LLC to advise on strategic alternatives and ultimately executed a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction. The LOGS Group, LLC, a national provider of law firm practice management solutions, spun off from the LOGS Network and joins ARMA Acquisition, LLC, to form
- [The Verit View - April 2017](https://verit.com/verit-view-april-2017/) - Capital, Capital Everywhere Verit Advisors’ view is that financial capital, the fuel that drives the engine of mergers and acquisitions, is available in unprecedented amounts and from an ever growing number of sources. Putting that capital to work is the responsibility of private equity sponsors, hedge funds, corporate executives, institutional investors, and, increasingly, family offices.
- [Verit Advisors Employees to Present at ESOP Conference May 11-12, 2017](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-employees-present-esop-conference-may-11-12-2017/) - Two Verit Advisors® employee will speak at The ESOP Association’s 40th Annual Conference and 26th Awards Ceremony on May 11 and 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. Rob Ruszkowski, Principal, will speak on a panel Thursday, May 11 on “Pros and Cons of ESOP Releveraging Transactions and Other Alternatives.” This panel will share their views on
- [Verit Advisors’ Solimine to Present at Huntsville Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-solimine-present-huntsville-employee-ownership-conference/) - Verit Advisors, Managing Director, John Solimine will present at the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) seminar titled “ESOP Nuts and Bolts: What You Need to Know About Employee Stock Ownership Plans” on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 in Huntsville, AL. This one day seminar is aimed at people thinking about an ESOP, but may also
- [Mary Josephs Named to International Women’s Forum ®](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-named-international-womens-forum/) - Mary S. Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors®, has been selected to become a member of the prestigious International Women’s Forum (IWF). The IWF was founded in 1982 in the United States, and has grown across 6 continents into 74 local forums representing 33 nations. There are more than 6,000 members who are women
- [DIY Way to Beat The Manufacturing Skills Gap: Schweitzer Engineering](https://verit.com/diy-way-beat-manufacturing-skills-gap-schweitzer-engineering/) - The skills gap bedeviling U.S. manufacturers has given rise to hundreds of programs to train workers. And most of these efforts, though varied in other ways, share one important trait: the schooling that occurs happens offsite, not at the factories for which workers are being trained. It could be at a community college, regional or
- [The Verit View - July 2017](https://verit.com/verit-view-july-2017/) - Family Offices – A New Power Player Verit Advisors’ view is that patient capital, in the form of family offices, is getting serious about taking on traditional private equity. Increasingly, family offices are building their own direct investment operations to compete directly with private equity funds, mainly in middle-market deals ranging from $50 million to
- [Stop Pampering Your Millennials: How Butler/Till Asks More, Not Less, Of Its Many Young Employees](https://verit.com/stop-pampering-millennials-butlertill-asks-not-less-many-young-employees/) - Is your company struggling to engage millennial workers? Then come with me to Rochester, N.Y., where a 116-person media-buying ad agency, Butler/Till, after a difficult passage, has 20-somethings taking it upon themselves to boost productivity and quality. The agency, though nearly 20 years old, has the vibe of a startup, not just because dogs are
- [Verit Advisors® Promotes John Solimine](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-promotes-john-solimine/) - October 3, 2015 Verit Advisors® has promoted John Solimine to Managing Director from Principal effective immediately. Verit Advisors unites sophisticated middle market investment banking capabilities with a client centric boutique, fluent in ESOPs, debt capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, valuation services and board advisory expertise. Integrity, teamwork, service, and innovation are at the heart of
- [Verit Advisors® Ruszkowski to Speak At ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-ruszkowski-speak-esop-conference/) - Rob Ruszkowski, Principal, at Verit Advisors®, will present and moderate at the Las Vegas ESOP Conference and Trade Show on Thursday, November 10, 2016 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. This is the largest ESOP conference in the world and is put on annually by the ESOP Association. Ruszkowski will present on “Current Issues with Warrants”
- [Productivity Slowdown Presents Middle Market CEOs With An Unusual Profit Opportunity](https://verit.com/productivity-slowdown-presents-middle-market-ceos-unusual-profit-opportunity/) - Middle-market companies – those with highly engaged workforces — are uniquely positioned to defy the prevailing trend of slowed productivity growth in the U.S. economy. Robert J. Gordon, an economist at Northwestern University, and others have explained with disturbing clarity that the easy productivity gains of past decades may be behind us. While we may
- [How the Middle Market Kept Productivity High Through the Recession](https://verit.com/middle-market-kept-productivity-high-recession/) - By: Hal Conick Marketing News Sept. 29, 2016 As U.S. productivity crashed with the Great Recession, the middle market’s productivity stayed afloat. Here’s how they did it. The Great Recession was an insidious force against the U.S. economy. Across the country, organizational production plummeted in step with the GDP, capital investment and jobs. The
- [Major Study Points Way To Higher Profits, Engaged Workers, Company Differentiation](https://verit.com/major-study-points-way-higher-profits-engaged-workers-company-differentiation/) - Four decades after the initial popularization of ESOPs, we’re still only beginning to grasp the surprising extent of benefits the ownership format brings to employees, to companies, to selling entrepreneurs and to the economy at large. That’s newly affirmed by an important publication, in the form of a meta-analysis of more than 100 individual studies,
- [The Entrepreneurs We All Should Want To Work For](https://verit.com/the-entrepreneurs-we-all-should-want-to-work-for/) - You’ve been reading a lot about famous tech entrepreneurs – and you’ll keep reading about them – due to the understandable focus in our culture on individuals atop organizations and the creation of great wealth. All good. I have nothing against billionaires. But suppose entrepreneurial success was a team concept, the same fierce capitalism but
- [Verit Advisors® Year in Review August 2016](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-year-review-august-2016/) - Verit Advisors® has successfully closed a number of exciting transactions. Verit has completed Board Advisory projects for Hypertherm, Puffer-Sweiven, Telecare, Manson Construction, Janus (formerly Sterling), Dansko and The Bradford Group. Verit West Coast Office Celebrates One-Year Anniversary Verit’s west coast office, headed by Matt Dalany, is celebrating its one-year anniversary. Matt leads Verit’s expansion
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors® Completes ESOP Transaction for Valdese Weavers](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-valdese-weavers/) - Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Valdese Weavers to provide expertise in structuring a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction that balanced and optimized the Company’s and stakeholders’ objectives. Valdese’s existing ESOP had owned a minority interest stake in the company since 1996, when the ESOP was first established by
- [Mary Josephs Joins Board of Directors of Spinnaker Coating](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-joins-board-of-directors-of-spinnaker-coating/) - Verit Advisors CEO Joins Board of Spinnaker Coating Spinnaker Coating, LLC, announced the appointment of two new members to the board of directors,Mary Josephs of Verit Advisors and Glenn L.Bowers of Coolidge Wall. Spinnaker Coating, based in Troy, Ohio, is a $100 million manufacturer of adhesive coated papers and films. In February 2012, Spinnaker announced
- [The Verit View - July 2012](https://verit.com/the-verit-view-july-2012/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that construction and engineering (C&E) companies are currently facing an uncertain political landscape, a weak economic recovery since 2009, volatile financial markets, and slow M&A activity. As a result, companies are finding internal and external strategic growth alternatives limited and increasingly competitive. Successful C&E leaders are becoming more creative in optimizing
- [Verit Advisors Sponsor of ESCA Conference 2015](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-sponsor-of-esca-conference-2015/) - ESCA and the Foundation for Private Employee Ownership will hold their annual Leadership Summit February 18-20 in Ft. Lauderdale. Verit Advisors is proud to once again be a sponsor of this summit. This annual summit brings together top executives from S corporation ESOP companies and senior ESOP professionals from around the country. A key highlight
- [Terms of 735 Actual Middle Market Deals To Help You Negotiate The Best Exit Possible](https://verit.com/terms-of-735-actual-middle-market-deals-to-help-you-negotiate-the-best-exit-possible/) - Every business owner, preparing for his or her eventual exit, would love to have close friends who’re willing to share the most intimate elements of their business sales – how the deals were structured, pricing, what went wrong and what they’d do differently if they had the chance. Even better would be 735 such friends,
- [Fast-Growing Consulting Firm Surprises Itself In Choosing New Ownership Structure](https://verit.com/fast-growing-consulting-firm-surprises-choosing-new-ownership-structure/) - As long as there have been consulting and professional services giants, there have been split-offs — groups of experienced experts deciding to start their own firms and control their futures. In recent years, I have witnessed this trend rapidly accelerating, aided by low-cost technology, clients’ growing acceptance that the highest levels of skill can reside
- [100% Driver Turnover Hurts Trucking Industry: Correct M&A Approach Can Fix It](https://verit.com/100-driver-turnover-hurts-trucking-industry-correct-ma-approach-can-fix-it/) - It’s remarkable how fully optimized some industries are – computer chips and potato chips come to mind, as in Intel and Pepsico’s Frito-Lay – and how others continue to offer enormous pieces of low-hanging fruit to the enterprising business leader. By the American Trucking Associations’ count, annual driver turnover runs nearly 100% at so-called large
- [Parksite Case Debunks ESOP Myth](https://verit.com/parksite-case-debunks-esop-myth/) - One of my jobs, I’ve learned during 30 years of advising on employee ownership transactions, is to dispel myths about ESOPs, or Employee Stock Ownership Plans. Too complicated (not true). Takes forever to close a deal (not true). Inmates-running-the-asylum governance issues (not true). And then there’s this misperception: ESOPs, while fine for mature and slow-growing
- [Millionaire Grocery Clerks: The Amazing WinCo Foods Story](https://verit.com/millionaire-grocery-clerks-the-amazing-winco-foods-story/) - In Corvallis, Oregon, a couple miles north of the Oregon State University campus, sits a WinCo Foods discount supermarket and, unless you’re in need of groceries, you might drive by without noticing it. I assure you, however, it’s an extraordinary building, a laboratory of capitalism worthy of pilgrimages by the world’s great business schools. It
- [Strange And Wonderful Bedfellows: Private Equity And Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/strange-and-wonderful-bedfellows-private-equity-and-employee-ownership/) - The rise of private equity as a corporate ownership format has over the last 40 years or so roughly paralleled that of employee ownership, two very separate approaches to business and, in the minds of most people, approaches that are mutually exclusive. In oversimplified sound bites, private equity often represents big money and the primacy
- [Exit Strategies: ESOP Becomes Family Company's Fourth Generation](https://verit.com/exit-strategies-esop-becomes-family-companys-fourth-generation/) - The offices of National Van Lines are in Broadview, Ill., a suburb just west of Chicago, and the low-slung building looks out onto a large parking lot partially filled with moving trailers and beyond that onto busy Roosevelt Road, the area’s main drag. Light industrial describes the area, with one notable exception: a second floor
- [SmithBucklin: Solving The Chicken-And-Egg Riddle Of Employee Ownership](https://verit.com/smithbucklin-solving-the-chicken-and-egg-riddle-of-employee-ownership/) - Does an Employee Stock Ownership Plan transform any company’s culture by turning workers into owners, or must an employee-focused culture come first, subsequently made more productive and rewarding by a switch in ownership format to an ESOP? Given that my firm’s business is helping to structure ESOPs, I would love to be able to tell
- [The Millionaire Truck Driver And Other ESOP Miracles](https://verit.com/the-millionaire-truck-driver-and-other-esop-miracles/) - I hate to say it, but here goes: too many Americans, including highly-educated and experienced business people, have just plain given up on this country’s manufacturing industries, believing low-cost producers in China and elsewhere are unbeatable. And many of these same knowledgeable people would also tell you that solving the country’s retirement savings crisis is
- [The Better Exit Strategy](https://verit.com/the-better-exit-strategy/) - The Better Exit Strategy: ESOPs Satisfy Business Owners And Preserve Their Legacy Entrepreneurs By Mary Josephs, Contributor On Chicago’s North Side, decades after other manufacturing companies went bust, migrated to the South or outsourced everything to China, S&C Electric – a $700 million-a-year maker of equipment for utilities – stood independent, profitable and debt free.
- [An Analysis of the Benefits S ESOPs Provide the U.S. Economy and Workforce](https://verit.com/analysis-benefits-s-esops-provide-u-s-economy-workforce/) - By Alex Brill 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW | Suite 610 | Washington, DC 20036 www.matrixglobaladvisors.com Executive Summary Policymakers’ interest in tax reform has increased dramatically in recent years as a consensus on broadening the tax base and lowering marginal tax rates has emerged. As such base broadening would necessitate curbing or eliminating certain tax expenditures,
- [Verit Team Will Speak at the Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-team-will-speak-at-the-employee-ownership-conference-2/) - Verit Advisors, a sponsor of the NCEO Employee Ownership Conference in Minneapolis, April 12-14, 2016 will participate in multiple sessions. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership and over 1,400 attendees are expected. Verit Advisors CEO, Mary Josephs, will moderate a panel on Tuesday titled “How to Go from a Partial to
- [Verit Advisors to Speak at Illinois ESOP Conference March 10, 2016](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-illinois-esop-conference-march-10-2016/) - Peter Abrahamson, Verit Advisors Managing Director, will present at the Illinois Chapter of the ESOP Association on Thursday, March 10, in Champaign, IL. Abrahamson will co-present with Peter Aliferis, Pendo Advisors and Paul Trost, GreatBanc Trust. The panel will discuss the in-depth fiduciary review of an ESOP valuation report and the valuation process as a
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for MorganFranklin Consulting](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-morganfranklin-consulting/) - Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by MorganFranklin Consulting to provide expertise in structuring an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction that optimized the company’s and shareholders’ objectives. MorganFranklin, a leading business consulting and technology solutions firm based in McLean, VA, announced the sale of the company to a 100% ESOP owned
- [Mary Josephs Named One of Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A](https://verit.com/mary-josephs-named-one-of-most-influential-women-in-mid-market-ma/) - Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, has been selected as one of the most influential women in mid-market M&A by Mergers & Acquisition magazine. Ms. Joseph’s sphere of influence is structuring ESOPs for middle market companies. Women represent only 10 percent of the middle market and they hold even less senior management positions.
- [Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for Symbria Inc.](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-symbria-inc/) - CHICAGO, IL – November 30, 2015 – Symbria Inc., a Warrenville, Illinois company announced the sale of the company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Symbria to provide expertise in structuring a solution that optimized the company’s and shareholders’ objectives. “The company
- [Verit Advisors Announces Addition of Vice-President](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-announces-addition-of-vice-president/) - Verit Advisors announced that Ms. Elena Black has joined the firm as Vice-President. Verit Advisors is a Chicago-based boutique investment firm with middle-market investment banking capabilities with a client-centric focus. Verit’s expertise includes ESOPs, debt and equity capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance, transaction opinions and valuation services and board advisory expertise. Elena Black
- [Verit Advisors Executives to Present at the ESOP Association Annual Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-executives-to-present-at-the-esop-association-annual-conference/) - The largest ESOP conference in the world will be held in Las Vegas on November 12 and 13, 2015. Mary Josephs and Peter Abrahamson of Verit Advisors will be on panels at the Las Vegas ESOP Conference & Trade Show at Caesars Palace. Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors will be a panelist
- [Verit Advisors Adds Two Analysts](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-adds-two-analysts/) - Jake Cravens and Jake Feinerman have joined Verit Advisors in the position of analyst in Verit’s Chicago office. Both analysts will focus on company and industry research, pitch materials and management presentations for a wide range of clients. Prior to joining Verit, Jake Cravens worked as a financial analyst for IBM in Rochester, MN. There
- [Manufacturers Continue to Lead on Employee Benefits](https://verit.com/manufacturers-continue-to-lead-on-employee-benefits/) - By Christina Crooks National Association of Manufacturers According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 83 percent of manufacturing employees have access to a retirement plan compared to 63 percent of workers among other private-sector industries. Even more, BLS also cites that 93 percent of manufacturers have access to health care, compared to only 70
- [An Owner Vs. An Owner's Mindset: How Companies Can Bypass The Doldrums](https://verit.com/an-owner-vs-an-owners-mindset-how-companies-can-bypass-the-doldrums/) - The smart people at Bain & Co. know how to crunch numbers and this one’s a doozy: of 8,000 companies the consulting firm looked at globally, each having crossed the $500 million-in-revenue line, fully two-thirds stalled out. Often, the doldrums settled on these companies suddenly and without much warning. And, the Bain partners Chris Zook
- [What Does Chobani's Founder Get For Giving 10% Of His Company To Workers?](https://verit.com/what-does-chobanis-founder-get-for-giving-10-of-his-company-to-workers/) - The founder of Chobani, the upstart Greek yogurt maker recently valued at as much as $5 billion, just committed one of the most selfless corporate acts of the year: he’s giving 10% of the company to its 2,000 or so employees. Some long­term workers could receive stock valued at $1 million or more, with stock
- [Chicago Financial-industry Veterans Team Up to Launch Verit Advisors](https://verit.com/chicago-financial-industry-veterans-team-up-to-launch-verit-advisors/) - Investment Banking Firm to Specialize in Corporate Finance Solutions for Private Businesses, Including ESOP Transactions, M&A and Debt Capital Markets Mary Josephs, a nationally-recognized leader in succession and liquidity transactions, today announced the launch of Verit Advisors LLC, an investment banking advisory firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) advisory, strategic
- [ESOP Association Welcomes Verit Advisors in Las Vegas](https://verit.com/esop-association-welcomes-verit-advisors-in-las-vegas/) - Verit Advisors, an investment banking advisory firm with expertise in ESOPs, mergers and acquisitions, and debt capital markets for ownership transition and strategic alternatives, was the toast of the 2010 ESOP Association Conference. Over 1,000 conference attendees joined the Verit Advisors team as they sponsored the Association’s reception.
- [National Van Lines Recently Became a 100-percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)](https://verit.com/national-van-lines-recently-became-a-100-percent-employee-stock-ownership-plan-esop/) - National Van Lines recently became a 100 percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). National Van Lines recently became a 100 percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp and Verit Advisors was the company’s key strategist on the transaction. Watch the video below to see Verit’s own Mary Joseph’s featured in the images and hear
- [National Van Lines Becomes ESOP-owned](https://verit.com/national-van-lines-becomes-esop-owned/) - Verit Advisors served as the key advisor to National Van Lines, Inc. on the sale of the company to a 100 percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp. See the Chicago Tribune’s coverage of the National Van Lines ESOP.
- [National Van Lines Employees to Share the Wealth with Newly Launched ESOP](https://verit.com/national-van-lines-employees-to-share-the-wealth-with-newly-launched-esop/) - Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Creates Program for Moving Industry Pioneer National Van Lines, Inc. announced the sale of the company to a 100 percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, served as National Van Lines’ advisor on the transaction. “At the most basic level, the ESOP is a
- [Verit Speaking Announcement](https://verit.com/verit-speaking-announcement/)
- [Central States Manufacturing Completes 100% Employee-owned Transaction](https://verit.com/central-states-manufacturing-completes-100-employee-owned-transaction/) - Central States Manufacturing, Inc. announces the sale of the company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, advised Central States on the transaction. Verit Advisors LLC began working with Central States in May of 2011. Rick Carpenter, Central States' CEO and majority shareholder, was evaluating ownership transition alternatives
- [The Verit View - January 2012](https://verit.com/the-verit-view-january-2012/) - Verit Advisors’ view is 2012 will bring enhanced interest from privately held middle market business owners as they look to evaluate partial and full liquidity alternatives. Increased optimism that the U.S. economy is stabilized and moving towards continued recovery coupled with looming tax changes will incite more aging private business owners to start looking at
- [Spinnaker Coating Completes 100% Employee-owned Transaction](https://verit.com/spinnaker-coating-completes-100-employee-owned-transaction/) - Chicago-based Verit Advisors implements ESOP sale for Spinnaker Coating Spinnaker Coating (the "Company") announces the sale of the Company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP"). Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, advised Spinnaker Coating on the transaction. Spinnaker Coating is recognized as a leading service provider in the pressure sensitive industry. To achieve
- [Dansko Retains Culture with 100% ESOP](https://verit.com/dansko-retains-culture-with-100-esop/) - Chicago-based Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for Leading Shoe Company Dansko announced the sale of the company to a 100 percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Dansko to evaluate strategic alternatives, including various ESOP alternatives, for the selling shareholders. Verit provided expertise in
- [Dansko Featured in NBC Special on Expanding Ownership Through ESOPs](https://verit.com/dansko-featured-in-nbc-special-on-expanding-ownership-through-esops/) - Dansko, a market leader in designing and manufacturing comfort footwear, recently transitioned to an 100% ESOP owned S-Corp. Verit Advisors served as the Company’s key advisor on the transaction. Watch the video highlighting Dansko’s ESOP and the expansion of employee ownership through ESOPs.
- [Verit Advisors CEO to Speak at NCEO Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-ceo-to-speak-at-nceo-ownership-conference/) - Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors will speak on “Financial Strategies to Increase the Value ofESOP Companies” at the NCEO/Beyster Institute 2012 Employee Ownership Conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 25-27, 2012. Close to 900 business leaders and employee ownership and equity professionals will be in attendance. Mary Josephs is
- [Verit Advisors' Technical Director to Speak at NCEO Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-technical-director-to-speak-at-nceo-conference/) - Peter Abrahamson to speak on ESOP Transaction Structures in Current Tax Environment More than 900 conference attendees will gather in Minneapolis to discuss ideas to keep employee ownership working at the National Ownership Conference. Peter Abrahamson, Technical Director at Verit Advisors,will speak about “Optimizing ESOP Transaction Structures in the Current Tax Business Environment” on Thursday,
- [The Verit View - April 2012](https://verit.com/the-verit-view-april-2012/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that demographic, social and current macro-economic factors are supportive of increased employee ownership strategies for privately held middle market businesses. We believe that these current conditions support increased ESOP formation transactions. About 11,000 companies have Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). These plans cover approximately 10 million employees or 10% of the
- [Verit Advisors Ruszkowski to Speak at Ohio Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-ruszkowski-to-speak-at-ohio-employee-ownership-conference/) - Ruszkowski to speak on "Practical Matters in Executing a Sale to an ESOP" Verit Advisors announces that Rob Ruszkowski, Vice President, will participate as a panelist at the Ohio Employee Ownership Center conference on Friday, April 20 in Akron. The topic is "Practical Matters in Executing a Sale to an ESOP" and Ruszkowski’s focus will
- [Verit Advisors Opens Minneapolis Office](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-opens-minneapolis-office/) - Brooks Myhran Joins Verit Advisors as Managing Director Verit Advisors announced the opening of a second office in Minneapolis and the addition of Brooks D. Myhran. Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO, of Verit Advisors formally made the announcement today at the National Employee Ownership Conference (NCEO). Myhran is named Managing Director bringing additional expertise in
- [Architectural Office Environments Becomes 100% Employee Owned](https://verit.com/architectural-office-environments-becomes-100-employee-owned/) - Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for Office Furniture Distributor Architectural Office Environments (AOE) announced the sale of the Company to a 100 percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by AOE and its shareholders to advise on the sale of their ownership to the
- [Manson Construction Company Becomes 100% Employee Owned](https://verit.com/manson-construction-company-becomes-100-employee-owned/) - Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for Marine Construction Company Manson Construction Co. of Seattle announced the sale of the Company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corp. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Manson and its shareholders to provide expertise in structuring a solution that optimized the company’s
- [Keeping Manufacturing Jobs in the U.S.](https://verit.com/keeping-manufacturing-jobs-in-the-u-s/) - Spinnaker Coating's Chairman Opinion Piece Supports ESOPs Louis A. Guzzeti, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Spinnaker Coating, LLC wrote an opinion piece for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in support of Employee Stock Ownership Plans(ESOPs) which was published August 12, 2012. In February 2012, Spinnaker Coating transitioned from being a privately owned company to an employee
- [Verit Advisors Vice President to Present at Midwest ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-vice-president-to-present-at-midwest-esop-conference/) - Conference Theme is “ESOPs Grow America” Verit Advisors announces that Neal Hawkins, Vice President, will participate as a panelist and moderator at the Midwest ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program) Conference “ESOPs Grow America” September 20-21 in Des Moines. Mr. Hawkins topic is “Issues to be Addressed Prior to Selling Your Company.” The session, held on
- [The Verit View - October 2012](https://verit.com/the-verit-view-october-2012/) - While recent deal volume has slowed, Verit Advisors’ view is that private equity activity will accelerate through the end of 2012 and very likely into 2013. A number of macroeconomic factors contribute to this perspective, including high levels of unspent capital commitments, uncertainty over future tax rates, the emergence of fund-to-fund transactions, ready availability of
- [Three Verit Advisors Executives to Present at ESOP Association’s Las Vegas Technical Conference](https://verit.com/three-verit-advisors-executives-to-present-at-esop-associations-las-vegas-technical-conference/) - Verit Advisors will participate in ESOP Association Trade Show Verit Advisors announces that Mary Josephs, Peter Abrahamson and Neal Hawkins will participate in sessions of the ESOP Association’s Las Vegas Technical Conference and Trade Show November 8 and 9, 2012 Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, will moderate a session on Friday, November
- [S&C Electric Company Becomes 100% ESOP Owned](https://verit.com/sc-electric-company-becomes-100-esop-owned/) - Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Guides a Leading Chicago Manufacturer's Completion of ESOP Transaction S&C Electric Company announced that it will become a 100-percent Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) owned S-Corporation. Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged on behalf of S&C to advise the company on valuation and lead execution of the transaction. Verit
- [Employees Quietly Emerge As New Force In Buyouts](https://verit.com/employees-quietly-emerge-as-new-force-in-buyouts/) - FORBES By Marlene Givant Star Employees are using retirement plans to buy their own companies and experts expect more deals in the coming year. When an Employee Stock Ownership Plan buys a company, layoffs are far less likely and there’s little risk of default on the acquisition debt, experts say.
- [The Verit View - January 2013](https://verit.com/the-verit-view-january-2013/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that attractive debt capital markets including strong access to capital for middle market businesses will build upon 2012’s momentum and continue into 2013. Companies should continue to actively review their current and long-term capital strategy and debt capital alternatives given the robust credit markets and availability of borrower-friendly terms. Debt Capital
- [ESOPs Save Federal Government Money](https://verit.com/esops-save-federal-government-money/) - Research Indicates ESOPs Save Federal Government Billions Due to Fewer Layoffs January 14, 2013 (Washington, DC) – Using data from the 2010 General Social Survey (GSS), an analysis by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), in partnership with the Employee Ownership Foundation, evidences that employee stock owned companies saved the federal government over $37
- [5 Questions with Mary Josephs](https://verit.com/5-questions-with-mary-josephs/) - Five Questions For: Mary Josephs, Verit Advisors, LLC - ESOP Advisory From The merger and acquisition newsletter for owners of private companies and their advisors
- [Verit Advisors Sponsor of ESCA Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-sponsor-of-esca-conference/) - ESCA and the Foundation for Private Employee Ownership will hold their annual Leadership Summit on February 20-22 in Ft. Lauderdale. Verit Advisors is proud to once again be a sponsor of this summit. ESCA and the Foundation for Private Employee Ownership will hold their annual Leadership Summit on February 20-22 in Ft. Lauderdale. Verit Advisors
- [Business Loans Flood the Market](https://verit.com/business-loans-flood-the-market/) - Banks Put Their Liquidity to Work, but Added Competition Puts Pressure on Rates and Elevates Risk By Shayndi Raice Carl DelPrete, chief executive of suburban New York supermarket chain Uncle Giuseppe's Inc., couldn't be happier with the current lending environment. To fund a recent expansion, he got bids from three banks and calls the terms
- [Verit Advisors Technical Director to Speak at Illinois ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-technical-director-to-speak-at-illinois-esop-conference/) - Peter Abrahamson, Verit Advisors Technical Director, will participate as a panelist presenting at the Illinois Chapter of the ESOP Association Annual Conference on Thursday, March 7 in Oakbrook Terrace. The topic for the panel is “An Update on Recent Developments for ESOP Valuations and Transactions.” This conference is the largest chapter event of the year
- [Vice President of Verit Advisors to Speak at Ohio Employee-Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/vice-president-of-verit-advisors-to-speak-at-ohio-employee-ownership-conference-2/) - Rob Ruszkowski, Vice President at Verit Advisors, will participate as a panelist presenting at the 27th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference on Friday, April 19 in Akron. The topic for the panel is “Practical Matters in Executing a Sale to an ESOP.” The theme of the conference is “Employee Ownership: Building Jobs, Wealth, & Communities.”
- [Four from Verit Advisors Will Speak at Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/four-from-verit-advisors-will-speak-at-employee-ownership-conference/) - More than 1,000 people will gather in Seattle for the NCEO and Beyster Institute 2013 Employee Ownership Conference April 23-26. The conference brings together people and ideas that keep employee ownership working. Verit Advisors CEO and Founder Mary Josephs will participate in a panel on “Optimizing ESOP Transaction Structures in the Current Tax and Business
- [Verit Advisors Contributes to Leveraged ESOPs and Employee Buyouts Book](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-contributes-to-leveraged-esops-and-employee-buyouts-book/) - Mary Josephs, Neal Hawkins and John Solimine of Verit Advisors have collaborated with other industry experts to update and enhance Leveraged ESOPs and Employee Buyouts. The sixth edition of the book now features vastly expanded coverage of the intricacies of ESOP transaction capital (including seller financing, senior, and junior debt), plus updates and additions to
- [Two Verit Advisors Present Webinar for NCEO](https://verit.com/two-verit-advisors-present-webinar-for-nceo/) - Brooks Myhran and Kristin Ackerman of Verit Advisors will present via webinar “Using ESOPs to Structure Acquisitions - Strategic & Practical Issues” on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 11:30 AM CST. This webinar is offered by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) for continuing education credit. The webinar will discuss how many ESOP companies
- [Verit Advisors Announces Office Move](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-announces-office-move/) - Verit Advisors has moved its Chicago office to a larger space on Madison Street effective June 1, 2013. Verit Advisors opened in fall 2009 at 135 S. LaSalle Street. Since both the services offered and number of employees increased and necessitated the move to a larger office. In April 2012, Verit opened a Minneapolis office.
- [The Legacy of the Boomer Boss](https://verit.com/the-legacy-of-the-boomer-boss/) - Op-Ed Contribution By Gar Alperovitz College Park, MD -Over the next decade millions of business owners born during the baby boom will retire. Many, with no obvious succession strategy, will simply sell their companies, the backbone of Main Street economies across the country, to large corporations. All too often the result will be consolidations, plant
- [Verit View July 2013](https://verit.com/verit-view-july-2013/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that leadership is a major driver in creating value for an organization, whether the company is private or public. Many people identify a company’s success (or failure) with its leaders, but value creation for an organization should be considered more holistically. Good leaders understand the needs and values of all stakeholders.
- [Verit Advisors CEO to Speak at Heart of America ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-ceo-to-speak-at-heart-of-america-esop-conference/) - Mary Josephs, Verit Advisors founder and CEO, will be presenting at theHeart of America Chapter of the ESOP Association’s 14th annual fall ESOP conference being held on Thursday, August 22, 2013, at the Kauffman Conference Center in Kansas City, Mo. Doug Neville and Greg Wiemers will present with Ms. Josephs. The session is titled “ESOP
- [The Verit View - October 2013](https://verit.com/verit-view-october-2013/) - Valuation Ripples – The Recent Sharp Rise of U.S. Long-Term Treasury Interest Rates Verit Advisors’ view is that the recent rise, and the anticipation of further rises, of long-term interest rates presents valuation headwinds for private companies. Concurrently, short-term interest rates remain extremely low and are likely to remain low for a considerable period of
- [Verit Advisors Adds Senior Advisor Team](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-adds-senior-advisor-team/) - Verit Advisors, the Chicago based independent investment banking advisory firm, has added four Senior Advisors who will expand Verit’s current market presence both in Chicago and nationally. The senior advisors include a former President and CFO from ESOP companies. “I am excited to add four seasoned individuals who are very skilled and have diverse backgrounds
- [Verit Advisors Executives to Present at ESOP Association’s Technical Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-executives-to-present-at-esop-associations-technical-conference/) - Three members of Verit Advisors will participate in the ESOP Association’s Las Vegas Technical Conference and Trade Show November 7 and 8. This is the largest ESOP conference in the world. Mary Josephs, founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, will moderate a session on Friday, November 8, titled “How Does an ESOP Company Raise Capital?”
- [The Value of Employee Stock-Owned Plans](https://verit.com/the-value-of-employee-stock-owned-plans/) - By Mandy Cabot CEO, Dansko, West Grove, PA I had the extraordinary opportunity in last November, together with 14 other small business owners, to speak with President Obama and his top economic advisors about the current economic climate and its effect on our respective small businesses. The story of Dansko and how it became 100%
- [Workers Unite! (So You Can Become Capitalists)](https://verit.com/workers-unite-so-you-can-become-capitalists/) - CNBC By Mark Koba, Senior Editor Central States Manufacturing has been in business since 1988. The maker of metal building components and roofing materials has 550 employees in six locations across the United States. In 1991, the company became partially employee-owned—35 percent—before workers took complete ownership in 2012. The long but continuous move to total
- [Hammacher Schlemmer has a Secret](https://verit.com/hammacher-schlemmer-has-a-secret/) - Fortune By Ryan Bradley, Senior Editor The catalog seller of curiosities has the answer to our impossible desires. A few years ago my girlfriend bought the world's only outdoor heated cat house. It cost $99.99 and came with free shipping, plus she had a gift card from her employer, so it really only cost $50.
- [The Verit View - January 2014](https://verit.com/verit-view-january-2014/) - M&A: Big 2014 or Another False Start? While 2013 enjoyed strong public market conditions supporting a robust and growing climate for mergers and acquisitions (“M&A” transactions), M&A activity for privately held middle market businesses has been sluggish throughout 2013. Each year since 2010, experts have been predicting the M&A market will return to levels seen
- [Hypertherm Transitions to a 100 Percent Employee-Owned Company](https://verit.com/hypertherm-transitions-to-a-100-percent-employee-owned-company/) - Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of plasma, laser, and waterjet cutting systems, today announced the transfer of all its common stock into an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), making the company 100 percent employee owned under a S-Corporation structure. Previously, Hypertherm’s ESOP, known internally as the Hypertherm Stock Ownership Plan or HSOP, held approximately one-third
- [Verit Advisors Completes a 100% ESOP Transaction For Hypertherm](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-completes-a-100-esop-transaction-for-hypertherm/) - Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged on behalf of Hypertherm Inc. to provide a comprehensive strategic alternatives analysis and support the execution of a 100% ESOP transaction. Verit provided significant financial advisory expertise in a wide range of areas including ESOP structuring, sustainability, and debt capital markets. Verit Advisors Vice President Rob
- [Keeping it in the 'family'](https://verit.com/keeping-it-in-the-family/) - Automotive News | January 20, 2014 Minnesota dealer preserves business with employee ownership plan By Jamie LaReau With no succession plan in place and retirement looming in about five years, dealer Linda Eich DesJardins needed an exit strategy that would preserve her family's business that dates back more than 110 years. So in late 2012,
- [Verit Advisors Adds Carey Chen as Senior Advisor](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-adds-carey-chen-as-senior-advisor/) - Verit Advisors, the Chicago based independent investment banking advisory firm, announced the addition of Carey Chen as its fifth Senior Advisor. “I am excited with the addition of Carey to the existing Senior Advisor team. Carey has deep expertise and nationally recognized leadership surrounding employee ownership.” said Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO. “This will also
- [Verit Advisors to Speak at Illinois ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-illinois-esop-conference/) - Verit Advisors employees will present at two sessions at the Illinois Chapter of the ESOP Association on Thursday, March 6, in Champaign, IL. Peter Abrahamson, Verit Advisors Technical Director, will co-present with Patrick DeCraene on ESOP Internal Loan Stretch-Out Transactions. Kristin Ackerman, Verit Senior Associate, and Patrick Kane, Verit Associate, with be part of a
- [Selling Out to Your Own Workers](https://verit.com/selling-out-to-your-own-workers/) - The Wall Street Journal By Liz Moyer Business owners seeking to cash out of their companies don't necessarily have to merge with a rival or solicit bids from private-equity firms. They can sell to their employees through a so-called employee stock ownership plan. While there are potential advantages of selling to an ESOP, there also
- [Five from Verit Advisors Will Speak at Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/five-from-verit-advisors-will-speak-at-employee-ownership-conference/) - Verit Advisors will have five presenters at the 2014 NCEO Employee Ownership Conference in Atlanta, April 8-10, 2014. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership and over 1,200 attendees are expected. Verit Advisors CEO, Mary Josephs, will moderate the Newcomer Orientation and moderate a panel on the closing day on “Questions and
- [The Verit View - April 2014](https://verit.com/verit-view-april-2014/) - Do Boards Need an Independent Financial Advisor? Verit Advisors’ view is that boards of directors, even those of private companies, are well advised to retain an independent financial advisor whenever considering a significant equity transaction. There are situations where the need for such counsel may be less obvious, but in our experience an emerging best
- [Vice President of Verit Advisors to Speak at Ohio Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/vice-president-of-verit-advisors-to-speak-at-ohio-employee-ownership-conference/) - Rob Ruszkowski, Vice President at Verit Advisors, will participate as a panelist presenting at the 28th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference on Thursday, April 24 in Akron. The topic for the panel is “Exit/Succession Planning – Selling Owner ESOP Q&A.” The theme of the conference is “A Wealth of Opportunity: Employee Ownership Fuels Growth.” Ruszkowski
- [An Analysis of the Benefits S ESOPs Provide  the U.S. Economy and Workforce](https://verit.com/an-analysis-of-the-benefits-s-esops-provide-the-u-s-economy-and-workforce/) - By Alex Brill 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW | Suite 610 | Washington, DC 20036 www.matrixglobaladvisors.com Executive Summary Policymakers’ interest in tax reform has increased dramatically in recent years as a consensus on broadening the tax base and lowering marginal tax rates has emerged. As such base broadening would necessitate curbing or eliminating certain tax expenditures,
- [Verit Advisors’ Carey Chen to Speak](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-carey-chen-to-speak/) - Carey Chen, Senior Advisor for Verit Advisors, will speak on “Employee Engagement and the Ownership Mindset” at the Vermont Employee Ownership Center on June 3, 2014 in Colchester, Vermont. Joining Mr. Chen will be Tom Bouwer of ProfitWorks, LLC. This is the 12th annual VEOC conference. Their topic will focus on effective ways of sharing
- [Bipartisan Bill Promotes Retirement Savings Through Private Employee-Ownership](https://verit.com/bipartisan-bill-promotes-retirement-savings-through-private-employee-ownership/) - Shared Capital, Secure Retirement Help Address Growing Inequalities for Workers PR Newswire WASHINGTON, June 12, 2014 -- House Ways and Means Committee members Dave Reichert (R-WA), Ron Kind (D-WI), Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Richard Neal (D-MA), Charles Boustany (R-LA) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), introduced legislation yesterday designed to spur more
- [The Ins and Outs of ESOPs](https://verit.com/the-ins-and-outs-of-esops/) - Brewbound® By Chris Furnari When Harpoon Brewery announced that it would transfer 48 percent of the company’s shares into an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), many of our readers reached out with questions about how these transactions function. An ESOP is an innovative liquidity tool that provides flexibility for shareholders, tax advantages for business owners
- [The Verit View - July 2014](https://verit.com/verit-view-july-2014/) - The Good Coming Out of Washington Verit Advisors’ view is that the House’s recently introduced bill (H.R. 4837) represents “the good” coming out of Washington in the midst of continued political frustration and in-fighting. This type of bi-partisan collaboration will continue to stimulate jobs, communities and create meaningful retirement savings. Promotion and Expansion of Private
- [Josephs Selected to Join The Chicago Network](https://verit.com/josephs-selected-to-join-the-chicago-network/) - Mary Josephs, Founder and CEO of Verit Advisors, had been selected to join The Chicago Network. The Network is an organization of over 400 women who are the most influential professionals in the Chicago area. The Chicago Network’s core purpose is to create empowering connections that enable its members to increase their impact on their
- [Employee-owned Companies: Sharing in the Risks and Rewards of Ownership](https://verit.com/employee-owned-companies-sharing-in-the-risks-and-rewards-of-ownership/) - Southern Business Journal By Deb Sauerhage, SBJ Correspondent Local large and small companies are enjoying the profits and benefits from being employee owned. Employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, allow many employees to own or buy their companies. This sort of thing may allow employees to enjoy work more than they would if a corporation
- [Verit Advisors Promotes Two Associates](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-promotes-two-associates/) - Verit Advisors has promoted Patrick Kane and Alex McVey to Senior Associate effective immediately. Verit Advisors is a Chicago based boutique investment firm with middle market investment banking capabilities with a client centric focus. Verit’s expertise includes ESOPs, debt and equity capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance, transaction opinions and valuation services and board
- [Verit Advisors to Speak at Midwest ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-midwest-esop-conference/) - Five Verit Advisors employees will present at the Midwest ESOP conference on September 11-12, 2014 in Oak Brook, Illinois. The theme of the conference is “ESOPs Move Us Forward.” More than 400 attendees from seven Midwest states are expected. Peter Abrahamson, Technical Director for Verit Advisors, will join Verit Senior Advisor Stan Slabas and Kevin
- [Verit Senior Advisors to Speak at New South ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-senior-advisors-to-speak-at-new-south-esop-conference/) - Joe Alexander, Senior Advisor for Verit Advisors, will present at the New South Chapter of the ESOP Association conference on September 18, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alexander will present on “The Life Cycle of Camber Corporation’s ESOP: 1998-2008.” Alexander’s presentation will explore the life cycle of a highly successful ESOP company through the lens of
- [The Verit View - October 2014](https://verit.com/verit-view-october-2014/) - Transaction Considerations Verit Advisors’ view is that transaction consideration, i.e., the amount an owner receives when selling his or her business, is not always as it seems. Why? Because in many transactions – if not most – some of that consideration is not paid at closing, but rather is held in escrow and/or as an
- [Verit Advisors Executives to Present at Largest ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-executives-to-present-at-largest-esop-conference/) - The largest ESOP conference in the world will be held in Las Vegas on November 13 and 14. Four members of Verit Advisors will be on panels at the Las Vegas ESOP Conference & Trade Show at Caesars Palace. Cary Chen, Verit Advisors senior advisor, will participate in a panel called “Highly Leveraged ESOP Transactions.”
- [Verit Advisors Associate to be Panelist on ACEC Webinar](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-associate-to-be-panelist-on-acec-webinar/) - Kristin Ackerman, Senior Associate for Verit Advisors will participate in a webinar presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) on Tuesday, December 16, 2014. The topic is “The ESOP Exit Strategy – Why an AE Company Should Consider and ESOP as a Corporate Exit Strategy.” The webinar will focus on the question is
- [Verit Advisors Promotes Rob Ruszkowski](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-promotes-rob-ruszkowski/) - Verit Advisors has promoted Rob Ruszkowski to Principal from Vice President effective immediately. Verit Advisors is a Chicago based boutique investment firm with middle market investment banking capabilities with a client centric focus. Verit’s expertise includes ESOPs, debt and equity capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance, transaction opinions and valuation services and board advisory
- [Verit Advisors CEO to Speak at NGA Pre-Conference Event](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-ceo-to-speak-at-nga-pre-conference-event/) - Mary Josephs, Verit Advisors founder and CEO, will be participating in a half-day session called, “ESOPs 101 – Ensuring the Future Success of the Organization Through Employee Ownership” as a lead in to the National Grocer Association annual show held in Las Vegas. On February 8, at a pre-convention workshop, Ms. Josephs will present an
- [The Verit View - January 2015](https://verit.com/verit-view-january-2015/) - The Year Ahead: Verit’s Top Four 2015 Middle Market Predictions 1. A Less Frenetic Environment for Private Equity Over the past few years, low interest rates have allowed private equity firms to aggressively bid for targets and reap significant profits by leveraging portfolio companies with substantial amounts of comparatively low-cost debt. The Fed’s latest comments
- [Verit Advisors CEO to Speak at ACG Chicago Event](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-ceo-to-speak-at-acg-chicago-event/) - Mary Josephs, Verit Advisors founder and CEO, will be participating in a panel titled “Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) - A Specialized but Powerful Exit Tool.” The one hour event will be held on March 3 in the ACG Chicago offices. The seminar will focus on knowing when to use the ESOP structure and how
- [Pro-ESOP Bill, H.R. 2096, Introduced in House](https://verit.com/pro-esop-bill-h-r-2096-introduced-in-house/) - WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - April 30, 2015) - The ESOP Association expresses strong support for H.R. 2096, introduced on April 29, 2015 by Congressmen David G. Reichert (R-WA), Ron Kind (D-WI), Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-LA), and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ). H.R. 2096
- [Lawmakers Pledge to Pursue Greater Tax Benefit on Employee Stock Plans](https://verit.com/lawmakers-pledge-to-pursue-greater-tax-benefit-on-employee-stock-plans/) - Bloomberg BNA Posted April 29, 2015, 4:32 P.M. ET By Marc Heller Two lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee told advocates for employee stock ownership plans today that they will push hard to preserve the plans' tax benefits as Congress moves toward revamping the tax code. Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) and Richard E.
- [Capitalism for the Rest of Us](https://verit.com/capitalism-for-the-rest-of-us/) - By Joseph R. Blasi, Richard B. Freeman and Douglas L. Kruse In her most detailed economic policy address so far, Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that she wanted “to give workers the chance to share in the profits they help produce” through a two-year tax credit that would encourage profit-sharing. As social scientists who have
- [Rethinking Work](https://verit.com/rethinking-work/) - New York Times By Barry Schwartz HOW satisfied are we with our jobs? Gallup regularly polls workers around the world to find out. Its survey last year found that almost 90 percent of workers were either “not engaged” with or “actively disengaged” from their jobs. Think about that: Nine out of 10 workers spend half
- [M&A Magazine Names Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A](https://verit.com/ma-magazine-names-most-influential-women-in-mid-market-ma/) - Mary Josephs Sphere of Influence: Structures innovative ESOPs for middle-market companies. By Danielle Fugazy December 17, 2015 Mary Josephs had a promising career as an investment banker focusing on Fortune 500 companies, but it wasn’t all that interesting to her. In 2009, she left Bank of America and she took a risk, launching Verit Advisors.
- [A Middle Market Growth Conversation: Mary S. Josephs, Verit Advisors](https://verit.com/a-middle-market-growth-conversation-mary-s-josephs-verit-advisors/) - Middle Market Growth Editor Deborah Cohen interviewed Mary Josephs. Listen to the full conversation or read an edited and condensed version below. MMG: How is the devaluation of China’s currency and subsequent worldwide stock market volatility impacting ESOPs? Mary Josephs: It’s really interesting because there’s a perception that you don’t get fair market value if
- [The Verit View - April 2015](https://verit.com/verit-view-april-2015/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that despite certain headwinds, manufacturing has been experiencing a renaissance over the past several years and current market trends suggest that it has staying power. Technological advancements, the shrinking supply chain, shifting dynamics towards “re-shoring” due to changes in the Asian economy, and record corporate cash levels all support the notion
- [The Verit View - September 2015](https://verit.com/verit-view-september-2015/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that, even if a founder/owner/CEO of a middle market company doesn’t anticipate a liquidity event within the next decade, the matter of sophisticated estate planning is nonetheless crucial and urgent. Owners very likely won’t realize maximum after-tax value for the company, even if they receive a superior price in a sale,
- [The Verit View - January 2016](https://verit.com/verit-view-january-2016/) - Verit Advisors’ view is that, facing increasingly difficult long-term labor markets, American companies big and small will be forced to invest in sustainable talent programs to ensure a stable, productive workforce. Firms that get ahead of this trend – some already have -- will realize an enormous competitive advantage. Those who lag put their businesses
- [The Verit View - April 2016](https://verit.com/verit-view-april-2016/) - The Verit View is that, for many founders, selling a minority stake is a crucial step in both their middle market company’s long-term capital plan and in the owner’s estate plan. And a financing market turned cool to minority investing shouldn’t upset those plans. Purchases by private equity funds of minority stakes in the U.S.
- [The Verit View - July 2016](https://verit.com/the-verit-view-july-2016/) - The Verit View is that middle market companies – those with highly engaged workforces -- are uniquely positioned to defy the prevailing trend of slowed productivity growth in the U.S. economy. Robert J. Gordon, an economist at Northwestern University, and others have explained with disturbing clarity that the easy productivity gains of past decades may
- [Chicago-Based Verit Advisors Completes ESOP Transaction for Contract Leasing Corporation](https://verit.com/chicago-based-verit-advisors-completes-esop-transaction-for-contract-leasing-corporation/) - Verit Advisors, a Chicago-based investment banking firm, was engaged by Contract Leasing Corporation to provide expertise in structuring an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction that optimized the Company’s and shareholders’ objectives. Contract Leasing Corporation has been in the business of semi-trailer leasing, sales and consulting for the past 25 years. Michael Goor, Contract Leasing’s
- [Verit Advisors Abrahamson to Present at ESOP Association Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-abrahamson-to-present-at-esop-association-conference/) - Peter Abrahamson, Managing Director, will be a panelist at The ESOP Association’s 39th Annual Conference held in Washington DC on May 18-20, 2016. The presentation, “Recapitalizing ESOPs” will take place on Friday, May 20 at 10:45 AM. This session’s expert panel will discuss and present alternatives on restructuring an ESOP-owned company’s capital structure to achieve
- [Verit Advisors to Speak at 2015 Illinois ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-2015-illinois-esop-conference/) - Peter Abrahamson, Verit Advisors Technical Director, will present at the Illinois Chapter of the ESOP Association on Thursday, March 5, in Oak Brook, IL. Abrahamson, Verit Advisors will co-present with Peter Aliferis, Pendo Advisors and Eric Zaleski, MB Financial Bank on “Synthetic Equity Uses in ESOP Transactions and Executive Compensation Situations.” Synthetic equity is flexible
- [Addressing the roots of populism by democratizing capitalism](https://verit.com/addressing-the-roots-of-populism-by-democratizing-capitalism/) - By Former Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) The Hill Eight years after the crisis, the latest primary exit polls show voters’ top concern is the future of our economy. Seven out of ten Republicans in Illinois and North Carolina and roughly eight out of ten Democrats in Missouri and Ohio were worried about the future of
- [Verit’s John Solimine to Speak at Midwest ESOP Conference](https://verit.com/verits-john-solimine-to-speak-at-midwest-esop-conference/) - Verit Advisors announces that John Solimine will participate as a panelist at the Midwest ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Conference September 10-11 in Minneapolis. Mr. Solimine’s topic is “Alternative Forms of Capital for Mature ESOP Companies.” He will be joined on the panel by Betsy Perdue, Holland & Knight and Peter Pricco, Prudential Capital. This
- [Josephs Will Participate at ESOP Association Conference](https://verit.com/josephs-will-participate-at-esop-association-conference/) - Mary Josephs will moderate a panel at the 38th annual ESOP Association’s conference. The conference theme is “ESOPs: Creating our Destiny” and will be held on May 7 & 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. The topic of the panel is “ESOP Transaction Financing Issues and Market Update.” This session will discuss and review the common
- [Verit Advisors Team Members Will Speak at the Employee Ownership Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-team-members-will-speak-at-the-employee-ownership-conference/) - Verit Advisors, a sponsor of the 2015 NCEO Employee Ownership Conference in Denver, April 21-23, 2015 will participate in multiple sessions. This annual conference is a premier gathering on employee ownership and over 1,300 attendees are expected. Verit Advisors CEO, Mary Josephs, will moderate a panel on Tuesday titled “Advanced Capital Alternatives.” Josephs founded Verit
- [Verit Advisors Adds Jeff Bailey as Senior Advisor](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-adds-jeff-bailey-as-senior-advisor/) - Verit Advisors, the Chicago-based independent investment banking advisory firm, announced the addition of Jeff Bailey as a Senior Advisor. Bailey joins a team of four existing senior advisors. Bailey is a long-time financial journalist with leadership roles across print and online platforms and deep experience in shaping coverage of middle market and entrepreneurial companies. He
- [Verit Advisors to Speak at Alabama Conference](https://verit.com/verit-advisors-to-speak-at-alabama-conference/) - Verit Advisors employees will present at the Alabama Center for Employee Ownership (ACEO) event on Tuesday, March 17, in Huntsville, Alabama. The free event is themed “Is an ESOP Right For You?” The day-long event will be kicked off by Joe Alexander, Senior Advisor for Verit Advisors and former President of Camber Corporation. Alex McVey,
- [Chicago Private Equity Forum](https://verit.com/chicago-private-equity-forum/) - Verit Advisors is proud to sponsor this closed door event for private equity professionals in the Chicagoland area. Metropolitan Club 233 S. Wacker Drive on Wednesday. May 4th, 2016 at 3pm 3:00 Registration & Refreshments Creating a Competitive Advantage Through Real Estate & CAPEX Strategies Optimizing Value: Cash & Benefit Strategies ESOPS, Exits & Fund
- [You've Finally Sold Your Business: Now The Ugly Negotiations Really Begin](https://verit.com/youve-finally-sold-your-business-now-the-ugly-negotiations-really-begin/) - For successful entrepreneurs, the idea of finally selling the business – an end to 18-hour days, no more worrying about making payroll, no more anxiety about having nearly all your net worth tied up in a single enterprise – can look like an oasis, a future of prosperity with few worries. From the scores of
- [Four Reasons Middle Market Owners Shouldn't Wait For Private Equity](https://verit.com/four-reasons-middle-market-owners-shouldnt-wait-for-private-equity/) - Right now, private equity firms are sitting on $356 billion of cash and commitments from investors, all of it earmarked for company buyouts. Interest rates are low, so structuring leveraged transactions is highly doable. And there are many thousands of founder/owner/CEOs of middle market companies (sales of up to $1 billion or so) who bravely
- [Crucial Career Advice Young People Won't Get Elsewhere](https://verit.com/crucial-career-advice-young-people-wont-get-elsewhere/) - As the mother of five – young adults and teenagers at this point – I confess that as I go about my job as an investment banker, meeting with companies in many industries, I’m constantly wondering which businesses would be the best places to work for young people. First and foremost, young people should stay
- [Artisanal? Craft? Organic? Absolutely -- And Increasingly Employee-Owned](https://verit.com/artisanal-craft-organic-absolutely-and-increasingly-employee-owned/) - I get a little extra thrill when I drink a craft beer from an independent brewery, sip a perfect cup of coffee made using the pour-over method from a gourmet roaster, or sample a new organic snack item developed by a foodie startup. The products are great and they’re each transforming industries long dominated by
- [Sitting There In Plain Sight: Best Tax Strategy Is The Best Business Strategy](https://verit.com/sitting-there-in-plain-sight-best-tax-strategy-is-the-best-business-strategy/) - Putting your 2013 taxes behind you, if you’re a founder, entrepreneur, owner or CEO of a privately-held business, now’s the time to start thinking long-term and seriously about taxes, ownership structure (yes, that includes an exit strategy) and how to turbocharge productivity and growth in your business. You can improve your standing in all three
- [Employee Ownership Quiz: Six Surprising ESOP Facts](https://verit.com/employee-ownership-quiz-six-surprising-esop-facts/) - With stock prices perched at precarious levels, and an Internet-technology stock selloff already partially in motion, there’s a great anxiety among many business owners and investors hoping for a smart exit strategy. My friends at private equity funds are loaded down with some 7,500 portfolio companies and would like to greatly reduce that number, book
- [Selling Your Business: How -- And When -- You Finally Get Paid](https://verit.com/selling-your-business-how-and-when-you-finally-get-paid/) - It’s M&A season, with notably huge takeovers making headlines and deal activity expected to increase among all sizes of companies.Comcast CMCSA +0.43% is trying to buy Time Warner Cable TWC +0.51% for $70 billion; AT&T +0.03% agreed to buy DirecTV for $67 billion; and, bidding against only itself, Pfizer PFE -0.02% made a series of
- [A Patriotic Solution To The Middle Class Economic Crisis](https://verit.com/a-patriotic-solution-to-the-middle-class-economic-crisis/) - A single idea – one that has enjoyed strong support from both political parties in this country – has the potential to help solve the retirement savings crisis, to narrow the income-and-wealth gap, and to lift the growth rate of productivity and the overall U.S. economy. The idea, known as employee ownership, is already in
- [No Need To Envy Tax-Inversion Takeovers: Better Tax Deal Awaits](https://verit.com/no-need-to-envy-tax-inversion-takeovers-better-tax-deal-awaits/) - Watching big pharmaceutical companies and other major U.S. corporations line up to make foreign acquisitions that will bring them a low-tax haven as headquarters, a middle market CEO/owner/entrepreneur could easily become jealous. Are you feeling stuck with an effective tax rate of 25%, 30% or even 35%? For the likes of AbbVie (ABBV), Walgreen (WAG),
- [Employees Taking Ownership: A Radical Proposal](https://verit.com/employees-taking-ownership-a-radical-proposal/) - The concept of workplace ownership — “taking ownership,” “owning the problem,” “being the owner of the project,” “you’ve got to really own it,” and other phrases have become well-used office jargon – to my mind lacks a certain something: actual ownership. Smart speeches and articles on management, including this recent Harvard Business Review post by
- [Exit Strategies: How To Avoid Troublesome Earn-Out Problems](https://verit.com/exit-strategies-how-to-avoid-troublesome-earn-out-problems/) - The sale of Al Gore’s cable television operation, Current TV, to Al Jazeera for $500 million is very old news: the deal closed in early 2013, allowing the former vice president to monetize his investment and giving the upstart Al Jazeera’s U.S. operation access to viewers in tens of millions of homes. And yet the
- [Best Corporate Retirement Plans: An Even Better List](https://verit.com/best-corporate-retirement-plans-an-even-better-list/) - For far too many of us, when switching jobs or taking a first professional position out of college, the employer’s retirement savings plan is an afterthought. If the plan appears weak, we tell ourselves we’ll save a little extra on our own; if it looks generous, we congratulate ourselves on a piece of great luck.
- [The 92% Opportunity: Exit Strategy You've Never Fully Considered](https://verit.com/the-92-opportunity-exit-strategy-youve-never-fully-considered/) - With the economic recovery in its sixth year and the stock market making repeated record highs, many middle market business owners who put off examining exit strategies in recent years are beginning to consider the topic again. Our smart friends at MB Financial Bank in Chicago recently asked an even 100 owners and operators of
- [Middle Market M&A Innovation: The Private Equity/ESOP Hybrid](https://verit.com/middle-market-ma-innovation-the-private-equityesop-hybrid/) - In the middle market M&A world, aggressive would ­be buyers and their advisors will often tell you one of the following, depending on what business they’re in: –“You certainly don’t want to sell to your competitor.” –“Whatever you do, don’t sell to a private equity firm.” –“Don’t even think about an ESOP – they’re too
- [How Employee Ownership Is Crushing Other Retirement Plans](https://verit.com/how-employee-ownership-is-crushing-other-retirement-plans/) - The retirement savings crisis – go here for smart and unbiased analysis – is one of the greatest problems the U.S. economy faces. And there has been little done to fix the problem in recent years. Employee Stock Ownership Plans are an unusual bright spot in this picture. Regular readers of this column are accustomed
- [Turning Personal Goals And Business Aims Into An Actual Exit Strategy](https://verit.com/turning-personal-goals-and-business-aims-into-an-actual-exit-strategy/) - Have you ever noticed that exit strategies are categorized by type of transaction – an IPO, sale to a strategic buyer, buyout by private equity, sale to an ESOP – but too infrequently broken down by what they accomplish for the owner-­founder-­entrepreneur? Mea culpa: in writing this column, I frequently rely on those categories to
- [How Thousands of U.S. Companies Outperform During Recessions](https://verit.com/how-thousands-of-u-s-companies-outperform-during-recessions/) - I’ve witnessed more U.S. business cycles than I care to admit, and with each one I’ve learned that as an economic expansion goes on, smart CEOs begin planning for the next recession. They pay particular attention to liquidity, tighten up the collection of receivables and give any capital investment proposals extra scrutiny, among other moves.
- [For Some Business Founders, It's Not An Exit -- It's A Promotion](https://verit.com/for-some-business-founders-its-not-an-exit-its-a-promotion/) - My good friend Corey Rosen, who founded the National Center For Employee Ownership and has done as much as anyone to spread the word about the economic power that comes from worker-owners, posted smart remarks encouraging business owners to think of selling to employees as a sort of graduation, or promotion. The NCEO is a
- [How to Avoid the Rising Tide of Disputed Earn-Outs](https://verit.com/how-to-avoid-the-rising-tide-of-disputed-earn-outs/) - Middle Market Growth, the Official Publication of ACG By Mary Josephs For a founder, owner or entrepreneur, the decision to sell your business is wrenching enough. You don’t need costly and aggravating drama after the sale closes. And yet, that’s what often happens to sellers, as buyers demand larger and longer earn-outs—where a seller must
- [10 Steps To A Crisis-Free Exit Strategy: It's Called Corporate Housekeeping](https://verit.com/10-steps-to-a-crisis-free-exit-strategy-its-called-corporate-housekeeping/) - The middle market mergers-and-acquisitions world remains strong, with plenty of financing available for transactions and many buyers ready to pay multiples not seen since before the financial crash of 2009. If you’re a founder/owner/CEO of a middle market company, you should read on – regardless of whether you’re a.) getting ready to formulate an exit
- [H­E­B's Texas Supermarket Competitors Should Be Scared. ­­ Very Scared.](https://verit.com/h­e­bs-texas-supermarket-competitors-should-be-scared-­­-very-scared/) - A favorite question of mine for any CEO: What’s the toughest thing about your business? I guarantee you any executive in the supermarket industry will rank among his or her top headaches the hiring and retention of good people, in an industry where service quality increasingly is the mark of differentiation, and worker turnover is
- [Solving The Middle Market M&A Riddle In A High-Tax State](https://verit.com/solving-the-middle-market-ma-riddle-in-a-high-tax-state/) - California is the most-conspicuously entrepreneurial state in the U.S., with Silicon Valley in the north the world’s technology start-up epicenter, and Southern California home to defense and entertainment juggernauts that spawn growth companies at a furious rate. And yet, no state taxes the sale of a business so heavily: on top of the 20% top
- [Memo To Middle Market CEOs: Why The Next Decade Could Undo 30 Years Of Hard Work](https://verit.com/memo-to-middle-market-ceos-why-the-next-decade-could-undo-30-years-of-hard-work/) - Nobody I know who’s running a business would call the last three decades a walk in the park. But ten years from now, we could be looking back fondly on the 1985-to-2015 era and view its many changes as tame stuff compared to what’s in store for us between now and 2025. That’s the troubling
- [If U.S. Industry Plays Not To Lose, What Does Playing To Win Look Like?](https://verit.com/if-u-s-industry-plays-not-to-lose-what-does-playing-to-win-look-like/) - A smart critique of the anticipated merger announcement from Dow Chemical (DOW) and DuPont (DD), by the Wall Street Journal’s Dennis Berman, finds fault with such mega intra-industry consolidations: “Cut costs. Rationalize,” Berman sums up. “But there is a mournful edge to the whole idea. It’s as if these two companies—absolute bedrock of U.S. industrial
- [Pelican Products, Batting Six-For-Six, Offers 10 Rules For Successful Middle Market M&A](https://verit.com/pelican-products-batting-six-for-six-offers-10-rules-for-successful-middle-market-ma/) - The unwavering verdict of the middle market M&A world is that relative bigness brings a higher multiple when a company is sold. So Pelican Products, a specialty container ­and packaging manufacturer, while quadrupling its revenue since 2008, to $400 million through half a dozen acquisitions, could have seen its market value climb some eight­fold. Given
- [One Underdog's Secret To Adopting Big-Company Best Practices](https://verit.com/one-underdogs-secret-to-adopting-big-company-best-practices/) - It’s a challenge every successful growth company faces sooner or later: how to employ the best of big-company technology and management tools while hanging onto the lean-and-mean culture that made you successful in the first place. Hisco Inc., formerly Houston Industrial Supply Co., with 2015 sales of about $265 million, emerged from a mom-and-pop industry
- [Four Reasons An ESOP Can Spur Growth, Boost Ultimate Sale Price Of Your Business](https://verit.com/four-reasons-an-esop-can-spur-growth-boost-ultimate-sale-price-of-your-business/) - You’re a mid-sized player in a consolidating industry, and the phone rings regularly with investment bankers, private equity types and business development executives at larger competitors wanting to know if you’re ready to sell. You’re not, but you should consider this: a too-seldom-used vehicle to help propel your company’s continued growth and greatly increase the
- [Selling Your Business: The Seven-Year Itch](https://verit.com/selling-your-business-the-seven-year-itch/) - For a lot of reasons, successful companies between four and eight years post-startup end up selling. Call it the seven-year itch: by that point, in a study of 342 privately held acquisitions, half the companies had sold. Keep up to date with all the mergers and acquisitions news here. You know the reasons: 1. Buyers
- [Middle Market M&A: Unseen Deal Pros Have Biggest Impact On Value](https://verit.com/middle-market-ma-unseen-deal-pros-have-biggest-impact-on-value/) - I’ve advised founder/owner/entrepreneurs on more than 300 exits during my career and I tend to recall them as being part of one camp or another. No, I don’t think of them by industry groups. And no, not by the type of transaction – private equity, strategic buyer, employee stock ownership plan – chosen for the
- [How To Turn Millennial Workers Into Your Competitive Advantage (And Stop Complaining)](https://verit.com/how-to-turn-millennial-workers-into-your-competitive-advantage-and-stop-complaining/) - Traveling the country in recent months, visiting with clients and working on transactions, it seems every middle market CEO I visit is struggling with changing labor markets: skill shortages, rising market compensation, higher-than-desired turnover. Then, once we’re on the topic of employees, the conversation inevitably turns to millennials; every boss seems to have his or

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## Clients

- [The Boldt Group, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/the-boldt-group-inc/)
- [NOW Health Group, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/now-health-group-inc/)
- [Harker, LLC](https://verit.com/clients/harker-llc/)
- [Confidential](https://verit.com/clients/confidential-5/)
- [AArete](https://verit.com/clients/aarete/)
- [Iovino Enterprises](https://verit.com/clients/iovino-enterprises/)
- [National Van Lines, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/national-van-lines-inc/)
- [Web Industries](https://verit.com/clients/web-industries/)
- [Rational 360](https://verit.com/clients/rational-360/)
- [Stacy and Witbeck](https://verit.com/clients/stacy-and-witbeck-2/)
- [S & C Electric Company](https://verit.com/clients/s-c-electric-company/)
- [EA Collective](https://verit.com/clients/ea-collective/)
- [The Sundt Companies, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/the-sundt-companies-inc/)
- [Information Transport Systems](https://verit.com/clients/1912/)
- [Confidental](https://verit.com/clients/confidental/)
- [Morgan Franklin Consulting](https://verit.com/clients/morgan-franklin-consulting/)
- [Clif Bar & Company](https://verit.com/clients/clif-bar-company/)
- [Central States Manufacturing](https://verit.com/clients/central-states-manufacturing/)
- [Dansko](https://verit.com/clients/dansko/)
- [S & C Electric Company](https://verit.com/clients/s-c-electric/)
- [S&C Electric Company](https://verit.com/clients/sc-electric-company/)
- [Morgan Franklin Consulting](https://verit.com/clients/morgan-franklin-consulting-two/)
- [Dansko](https://verit.com/clients/dansko-2/)
- [Manson Construction Co.](https://verit.com/clients/manson-construction-co-2/)
- [Symbria](https://verit.com/clients/morgan-franklin-three/)
- [Contract Leasing Corp.](https://verit.com/clients/contract-leasing-corp/)
- [Valdese Weavers](https://verit.com/clients/valdese-weavers/)
- [Manson Construction Co.](https://verit.com/clients/manson-construction-co-3/)
- [AArete, Inc](https://verit.com/clients/aarete-inc/)
- [Max Auto Supply Company](https://verit.com/clients/max-auto-supply-company/)
- [Dixie Plywood](https://verit.com/clients/dixie-plywood/)
- [W&W Glass](https://verit.com/clients/ww-glass/)
- [Tecolote Research](https://verit.com/clients/tecolote-research/)
- [North State Grocery](https://verit.com/clients/north-state-grocers/)
- [Spinnaker Coating](https://verit.com/clients/spinnaker-coating/)
- [Architectural Office Environments operating as](https://verit.com/clients/architectural-office-environments/)
- [The Bradford Hammacher <br> Group Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/bradford-hammacher-group-inc/)
- [Hypertherm](https://verit.com/clients/hypertherm/)
- [Smith Bucklin](https://verit.com/clients/smith-bucklin/)
- [Parksite, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/parksite-inc/)
- [Plaskolite Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/plaskolite/)
- [LOGS Network](https://verit.com/clients/1412/)
- [Rosedin Electric](https://verit.com/clients/rosedin-electric/)
- [BNBuilders](https://verit.com/clients/bnbuilders/)
- [Concordance Healthcare Solutions](https://verit.com/clients/concordance-healthcare-solutions/)
- [Confidential](https://verit.com/clients/confidential-4/)
- [Siddons Martin](https://verit.com/clients/siddons-martin/)
- [Stacy and Witbeck](https://verit.com/clients/stacy-and-witbeck/)
- [Transformation Treatment Center](https://verit.com/clients/transformation-treatment-center/)
- [Confidential](https://verit.com/clients/crown-corr-inc/)
- [EOD Technology, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/eod-technology-inc/)
- [HNTB](https://verit.com/clients/hntb/)
- [ATS](https://verit.com/clients/ats/)
- [Nypro](https://verit.com/clients/nypro/)
- [Manson Construction Co.](https://verit.com/clients/manson-construction-co/)
- [West Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/west-corporation/)
- [Aegis Security, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/aegis-security-inc/)
- [Elkhorn Holdings, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/elkhorn-holdings-inc/)
- [Hypertherm](https://verit.com/clients/hypertherm-3/)
- [Hypertherm](https://verit.com/clients/hypertherm-2/)
- [Horizon Hobby](https://verit.com/clients/new-client-goes-here/)
- [Horizon Hobby](https://verit.com/clients/new-tombstone/)
- [SG360º](https://verit.com/clients/morgan-franklin-four/)
- [Erick Flowback Service LLC<br>Rod's Production Services LLC](https://verit.com/clients/erick-flowback-services-llc/)
- [Confidential](https://verit.com/clients/confidential-2/)
- [Confidential](https://verit.com/clients/confidential/)
- [Parsons](https://verit.com/clients/parsons/)
- [Telecare](https://verit.com/clients/telecare/)
- [Confidential](https://verit.com/clients/confidential-3/)
- [Woodward Communications Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/woodward-communications-inc/)
- [Westbrook](https://verit.com/clients/westbrook/)
- [Performance Contracting Group, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/performance-contracting-group-inc/)
- [Everen Capital Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/everen-capital-corporation/)
- [Best Travel Tours Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/best-travel-tours-inc/)
- [Segerdahl Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/segerdahl-corporation/)
- [KLJ Solutions](https://verit.com/clients/klj-solutions/)
- [Crest Steel Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/crest-steel-corporation/)
- [Varel International](https://verit.com/clients/varel-international/)
- [IPC International Corp.](https://verit.com/clients/ipc-international-corp/)
- [EFCO Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/efco-corporation/)
- [Medicine Shoppe International, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/medicine-shoppe-international-inc/)
- [IIT Research Institute](https://verit.com/clients/iit-research-institute/)
- [Conso International Corp.](https://verit.com/clients/conso-international-corp/)
- [Integrated Aerospace, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/integrated-aerospace-inc/)
- [Actown Electrocoil, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/actown-electrocoil-inc/)
- [American Publishing Company](https://verit.com/clients/american-publishing-company/)
- [CollegisEduprise, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/collegiseduprise-inc/)
- [Blue Tee Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/blue-tee-corporation/)
- [Whitney, Bradley & Brown Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/whitney-bradley-brown-inc/)
- [Kimberlite Corp.](https://verit.com/clients/kimberlite-corp/)
- [Ecker Enterprises, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/ecker-enterprises-inc/)
- [Huls America](https://verit.com/clients/huls-america/)
- [Besser Company](https://verit.com/clients/besser-company/)
- [Berkel & Company](https://verit.com/clients/berkel-company/)
- [Precisions, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/precisions-inc/)
- [Human Kinetics, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/human-kinetics-inc/)
- [Agron, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/agron-inc/)
- [Amsted Industries](https://verit.com/clients/amsted-industries/)
- [Besser Company](https://verit.com/clients/besser-company-2/)
- [Talley Defense Systems](https://verit.com/clients/talley-defense-systems/)
- [Shawmut Design & Construction](https://verit.com/clients/shawmut-design-construction/)
- [Houchens Industries, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/houchens-industries-inc/)
- [Integrated Laboratory Systems](https://verit.com/clients/integrated-laboratory-systems/)
- [FL Crane & Sons, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/fl-crane-sons-inc/)
- [Hedwin Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/hedwin-corporation-2/)
- [Hedwin Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/hedwin-corporation/)
- [Jack Link's](https://verit.com/clients/jack-links/)
- [JJMA](https://verit.com/clients/jjma/)
- [Land O'Lakes](https://verit.com/clients/land-olakes/)
- [Colovos Company](https://verit.com/clients/colovos-company/)
- [Horizon Hobby, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/horizon-hobby-inc/)
- [The Antioch Company](https://verit.com/clients/the-antioch-company/)
- [Angus Industries](https://verit.com/clients/angus-industries/)
- [Harps Food Stores](https://verit.com/clients/harps-food-stores/)
- [Gantos, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/gantos-inc/)
- [Appleton Papers, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/appleton-papers-inc/)
- [Telamon Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/telamon-corporation/)
- [Vermeer Equipment of Texas, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/vermeer-equipment-texas-inc/)
- [SRAM Holding](https://verit.com/clients/sram-holding/)
- [SkyMall](https://verit.com/clients/skymall/)
- [Rainbow Disposal Company](https://verit.com/clients/rainbow-disposal-company/)
- [Princess House](https://verit.com/clients/princess-house/)
- [Presbyterian Homes](https://verit.com/clients/presbyterian-homes/)
- [Scot Forge Company](https://verit.com/clients/scot-forge-company/)
- [The Palmer-Donavin Mfg. Co.](https://verit.com/clients/palmer-donavin-mfg-co/)
- [Overton Chicago Gear Company](https://verit.com/clients/overton-chicago-gear-company/)
- [Oldenburg Group Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/oldenburg-group-inc/)
- [Nypro, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/nypro-inc/)
- [Leeco Steel, LLC](https://verit.com/clients/leeco-steel-llc/)
- [MC Assembly](https://verit.com/clients/mc-assembly/)
- [McCarthy Building Companies](https://verit.com/clients/mccarthy-building-companies/)
- [Kerotest Industries Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/kerotest-industries-inc/)
- [Fagen Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/fagen-inc/)
- [Forsythe Technology, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/forsythe-technology-inc/)
- [Erickson Air Crane](https://verit.com/clients/erickson-air-crane/)
- [George P. Johnson Company](https://verit.com/clients/george-p-johnson-company/)
- [Greenheck Fan Company](https://verit.com/clients/greenheck-fan-company/)
- [Huffman Koos Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/huffman-koos-inc/)
- [Heartland Dental Care](https://verit.com/clients/heartland-dental-care/)
- [Alion Science Technology Corp.](https://verit.com/clients/alion-science-technology-corp/)
- [Arriscraft](https://verit.com/clients/arriscraft/)
- [Brookshire Brothers](https://verit.com/clients/brookshire-brothers/)
- [Cash America International](https://verit.com/clients/cash-america-international/)
- [Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://verit.com/clients/chicago-shakespeare-theater/)
- [Burke, Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/burke-inc/)
- [Camber Corporation](https://verit.com/clients/camber-corporation/)
- [Cloverdale Foods Company](https://verit.com/clients/cloverdale-foods-company/)
- [ATI Physical Therapy](https://verit.com/clients/ati-physical-therapy/)
- [The Music and Dance Theater of Chicago](https://verit.com/clients/music-dance-theater-chicago/)
- [GWC Health Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/gwc-health-inc/)
- [Wright Tree Service Inc.](https://verit.com/clients/wright-tree-service-inc/)

## Team

- [Cara Bennett](https://verit.com/team/cara-cowan/)
- [Pat Eichten](https://verit.com/team/pat-eichten/)
- [Hal Sullivan](https://verit.com/team/hal-sullivan/)
- [Dustin Kim, CFA](https://verit.com/team/dustin-kim/)
- [Carter Wideman](https://verit.com/team/carter-wideman/)
- [Matt Anderson](https://verit.com/team/matt-anderson/)
- [Mary Josephs](https://verit.com/team/mary-josephs/)
- [Jake Cravens, CFA](https://verit.com/team/jake-cravens/)
- [John Solimine](https://verit.com/team/john-h-solimine/)
- [M. Hill Hammock](https://verit.com/team/m-hill-hammock/)
- [Dennis J. Long](https://verit.com/team/dennis-j-long/)
- [B. Joseph Alexander](https://verit.com/team/b-joseph-alexander/)
- [Cindy Flanders](https://verit.com/team/cindy-flanders/)

## Categories

- [Show All](https://verit.com/category/show-all/)
- [Mary Josephs Forbes Blog](https://verit.com/category/mary-josephs-forbes-blog/)
- [Press Releases](https://verit.com/category/press-releases/)
- [In the News](https://verit.com/category/in-the-news/)
- [The Verit View](https://verit.com/category/the-verit-view/)

## Tags

- [Ownership](https://verit.com/tag/ownership/)
- [leadership](https://verit.com/tag/leadership/)
- [selling company](https://verit.com/tag/selling-company/)
- [economy](https://verit.com/tag/economy/)
- [business cycles](https://verit.com/tag/business-cycles/)
- [Employee ownership](https://verit.com/tag/employee-ownership/)
- [Exit strategies](https://verit.com/tag/exit-strategies/)
- [ESOPs](https://verit.com/tag/esops/)
- [ESOP](https://verit.com/tag/esop/)
- [communication](https://verit.com/tag/communication/)
- [employee owners](https://verit.com/tag/employee-owners/)
- [CEO Activism](https://verit.com/tag/ceo-activism/)
- [Chobani](https://verit.com/tag/chobani/)
- [Clif Bar](https://verit.com/tag/clif-bar/)
- [Big Shoulders Fund](https://verit.com/tag/big-shoulders-fund/)
- [#Succession](https://verit.com/tag/succession/)
- [boardofdirectors](https://verit.com/tag/boardofdirectors/)
- [privatecompany](https://verit.com/tag/privatecompany/)
- [#Employeeownership](https://verit.com/tag/employeeownership/)
- [MostInfluential](https://verit.com/tag/mostinfluential/)
- [#ESOPs](https://verit.com/tag/esops-2/)
- [Mark Cuban](https://verit.com/tag/mark-cuban/)
- [Banking](https://verit.com/tag/banking/)
- [Lending](https://verit.com/tag/lending/)
- [Talent](https://verit.com/tag/talent/)
- [Recruitment](https://verit.com/tag/recruitment/)
- [Great Resignation](https://verit.com/tag/great-resignation/)
- [economic challenges](https://verit.com/tag/economic-challenges/)
- [family business owners](https://verit.com/tag/family-business-owners/)
- [ConsciousLeadership](https://verit.com/tag/consciousleadership/)
- [#ConsciousCapitalism](https://verit.com/tag/consciouscapitalism/)
- [communities](https://verit.com/tag/communities/)
- [purpose led](https://verit.com/tag/purpose-led/)
- [Legacy](https://verit.com/tag/legacy/)
- [Environment](https://verit.com/tag/environment/)
- [Chouinard](https://verit.com/tag/chouinard/)
- [Patagonia](https://verit.com/tag/patagonia/)
- [#ESOPs #EmployeeOwnership #DecadeoftheESOP](https://verit.com/tag/esops-employeeownership-decadeoftheesop/)
- [#CoreyRosenNCEO](https://verit.com/tag/coreyrosennceo/)
- [#TheNCEO](https://verit.com/tag/thenceo/)
- [#OwnershipWorks](https://verit.com/tag/ownershipworks/)
- [Borrowing](https://verit.com/tag/borrowing/)
- [M&A](https://verit.com/tag/ma/)
- [Private Equity](https://verit.com/tag/private-equity/)
- [Unions](https://verit.com/tag/unions/)
- [Unionization](https://verit.com/tag/unionization/)
- [EBITA](https://verit.com/tag/ebita/)
- [#BOSHoldings](https://verit.com/tag/bosholdings/)
- [Debt Capital Markets](https://verit.com/tag/debt-capital-markets/)
- [Financing](https://verit.com/tag/financing/)
- [Credit](https://verit.com/tag/credit/)
- [BDO](https://verit.com/tag/bdo/)
- [EA Collective](https://verit.com/tag/ea-collective/)
- [#ESOPs #Employeeownership](https://verit.com/tag/esops-employeeownership/)
- [#EOMonth2023](https://verit.com/tag/eomonth2023/)
- [#ESOPs in the news](https://verit.com/tag/esops-in-the-news/)
- [Community](https://verit.com/tag/community/)
- [Stacy Witbeck](https://verit.com/tag/stacy-witbeck/)
- [Potter Tech](https://verit.com/tag/potter-tech/)
- [Pete Stavros](https://verit.com/tag/pete-stavros/)
- [KKR](https://verit.com/tag/kkr/)
- [60 Minutes](https://verit.com/tag/60-minutes/)
- [Aspen Institute](https://verit.com/tag/aspen-institute/)
- [Rutgers](https://verit.com/tag/rutgers/)
- [60 Minutes Video](https://verit.com/tag/60-minutes-video/)
- [Aspen Institute Video](https://verit.com/tag/aspen-institute-video/)
- [Potter Tech Video](https://verit.com/tag/potter-tech-video/)
- [Newsletter](https://verit.com/tag/newsletter/)
- [CHI](https://verit.com/tag/chi/)
- [NCEO](https://verit.com/tag/nceo/)
- [EOTs](https://verit.com/tag/eots/)
- [Mypath](https://verit.com/tag/mypath/)
- [Lewis Services](https://verit.com/tag/lewis-services/)
- [minority ownership](https://verit.com/tag/minority-ownership/)
- [American Job Quality Study](https://verit.com/tag/american-job-quality-study/)
- [Deloitte’s 2025 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey](https://verit.com/tag/deloittes-2025-global-gen-z-and-millennial-survey/)
- [Partial ESOP](https://verit.com/tag/partial-esop/)
- [250th birthday](https://verit.com/tag/250th-birthday/)
- [mergers](https://verit.com/tag/mergers/)
- [acquisitions](https://verit.com/tag/acquisitions/)
- [middle market](https://verit.com/tag/middle-market/)

## Services

- [Board Advisory Services](https://verit.com/service/board-advisory-services/)
- [Debt Capital Markets](https://verit.com/service/debt-capital-markets/)
- [ESOP Advisory](https://verit.com/service/esop-advisory/)
- [Mergers & Acquisitions](https://verit.com/service/mergers-acquisitions/)
- [Transaction Opinion & Valuation Services](https://verit.com/service/transaction-opinion-valuation-services/)

## Advisor

- [Verit](https://verit.com/advisor/verit/)
- [Senior](https://verit.com/advisor/senior/)