About Ohio's Employee-Owned Network

Mission

 Ohio's Employee-Owned Network's mission is to provide a forum for those working at all levels in employee-owned businesses to learn from each other how to make employee ownership work more effectively at their firms; to organize networking opportunities, roundtables, and training sessions which address the unique challenges of ESOPs.

Ohio's Employee Owned Network is a resource available to the employee owned business community.  The Network offers 10-15 programs annually for the 80 member firms.  These programs offer multi-company training that focus on varying aspects of running successful employee-owned companies.

Research studies demonstrate a positive link between employee ownership, participation, and company performance.  For example, in 1987, the GAO found that annual rates of productivity growth were up to 52% higher in firms combining ownership and participation than they would have been otherwise.  Companies participating in Ohio's Employee Owned Network share a commitment to employee owner participation and participate in regular Network programs for employee owners. These programs focus in the folloowing areas:
 
1) Owner Education Training for non-managerial employee owners with new responsibilities on topics such as
  • financial basics,
  • ESOP issues, 
  • fiduciary roles, and 
  • group participation.
 
2) Supervisor/Team Leader Training Training for front-line leaders with increasing responsibilities to encourage employee involvement. Topics include
  • group facilitation,
  • communications, and
  • empowerment strategies.
 
3) Management Forums for those who lead employee owned companies. Typical formats include company presentations, Q. & A. with technical experts, and roundtable discussions. These seminars focus on
  • current ESOP administration issues and
  • employee involvement strategies.
The Network also offers peer mentoring for newer ESOP companies by veteran ESOP firms, free copies of the OEOC employee ownership magazine, Owners at Work, for Network companies' employees, and discounts on registration at the Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference.