Blogs

As a business owner contemplating your exit strategy, you will likely encounter a persistent myth in the marketplace: The belief that selling to employees means accepting a lower price for your business. This misconception has circulated through boardrooms and business communities for years, potentially steering owners and advisors away from considering employee ownership as a…

Every business owner will eventually face a pivotal decision: How to transition into the organization’s next chapter.  In other words, how will they go about preserving something they’ve poured their life’s work into? While retirement should be a time to celebrate years of dedication and success, it takes proactive planning to protect one’s legacy. This…

Congratulations to Blythe Development Corp. on celebrating its first anniversary as an employee-owned company!  Founded in 1921 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Blythe has a long and storied history. Originally established to build roads and highways, the company quickly took on ambitious projects, including the construction of Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, airfields in North Africa,…

Representing North Carolina, NCEOC Executive Director Illa Burbank and Founder Anne-Claire Broughton attended the 2025 National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) Conference, held April 14–17 in Salt Lake City. The event marked a milestone as the largest in NCEO’s history, drawing more than 2,000 participants from across the United States and internationally. One of the…

The North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC) was pleased to be featured in an article in the Q2 2025 print edition of WNC Business, a publication serving Western North Carolina. The article, The Silver Tsunami: Preparing for “The Largest Wealth Transfer in History,” also features the work of NCEOC partner The Industrial Commons (TIC) and…

When considering options for transitioning a business to employee ownership (EO), understanding the primary types of EO is crucial. Three distinct models have proven successful across different industries and company sizes: All successful forms of EO lead to increased productivity and profitability as employees gain a direct stake in the company’s success, especially when paired…

We are excited to announce that Illa Burbank has joined the North Carolina Center for Employee Ownership (NCEOC) as our new Executive Director. With over three decades of extensive experience in the business world, Illa brings exceptional expertise in leading organizations and harnessing the benefits of employee ownership. Her unique blend of expertise, passion, and…

Those who offer professional services to small businesses in North Carolina, such as exit planners, financial advisors, and CPAs, are invited to dive deeper into employee ownership concepts through our upcoming ExitPro Workshops. Crisis Facing North Carolina Businesses We are experiencing a “Silver Tsunami” in North Carolina: Baby Boomers (who own half of all small…