How a Co-op ESOP Hybrid Works – If you missed this Feb. 21 webinar, you can now watch the recording here:https://vimeo.com/319063049You can also get the session materials, slides, and more here.Democratic ESOPs or ESOPs with co-op features has been a specialty of Deb Olson’s law practice for 38 years. Once Again Nut Butter Collective (OANB) is the featured example company in this webinar. OANB’s CEO, Bob Gelser, a worker board member, Scott Owens, and Deb, who is board chair of OANB will present on the two and ½ years of work that has led to the OANB participatory decision making system, and the history leading to it. Deb spoke about legal mechanisms and issues. Bob and Scott talked about the practical issues of making a participatory workplace of 80 people function efficiently. Chris Cooper of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC) moderated.This event was cosponsored by the Groban Olson Law Firm, the Center for Community Based Enterprise (C2BE), the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University (with support from the USDA's Rural Cooperative Development Program); Horizon Trust & Investment Management; and Once Again Nut Butter Collective, Inc.
Cooperative Development for Communities and Unions - presentation at New Work New Culture Conference 10-19-14 in Detroit
Deb Olson facilitated a Worker Co-op Development workshop at the New Work New Culture conference in Detroit on 10-19-14. Deb provided an overview on all types of co-ops and worker ownership, and an update on the projects of the Center for Community Based Enterprise in the power point "Strategies for Community Wealth Building through Cooperation" as background for a focus on union worker co-ops. The other panelists were Kristen Barker and Phil Amadon, who spoke about the Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative, and Chris Michalakis from UFCW Local 876 who explained the Local’s participation in Community Growth Partners, a non—profit which is developing a worker owned grocery store chain in metro Detroit through conversion of existing independent groceries. Their goal is creation of a unionized, worker owned grocery chain in Detroit providing the best locally-sourced food.
Olson speaks at Open Cities Detroit on Alternate Ownership Models on 1/20/ 2014
Monday, January 20 at 6:00pm
| Have you ever wanted to start a business? Are you a current owner? Panelists will discuss alternative models of business ownership, including co-ops and employee stock ownership plans.Panelists will include: Atty. Deborah Groban Olson-Executive Director of Center for Community Based Enterprise, Inc.Bekah Galang Colors - Detroit Co-op Academy CoordinatorTera Holcomb founding Partner Sidecar DetroitAnd will be moderated by @Chanell Scott, Co-op consultant at 456 ConsultingOpen City Detroit is a free networking event that facilitates exchange about starting, operating and growing a small business in Detroit. By providing an informal space for entrepreneurs to share stories, information and resources, Open City aims to strengthen the local business community. |
"Preserving the Social Mission Beyond the Founder" - Deb Olson moderates panel with Bill Carris, Paul Saginaw & Ron Maurer at NCEO conference April 9, 2014
Atty. Deb Olson developed and will moderated a panel at which founders and leaders of two very different social enterprises discuss what they have done and are doing to ensure that the successful social enterprises they built, Carris Reels and Zingerman's, will remain both successful businesses and social enterprises when their successors run the business. The panel will be April 9, 2014, at t the upcoming National Center for Employee Ownership annual conference in Atlanta, GA.Carris Reels, a company with 715 employees and 15 plants in 8 states, also known as the "Carris Corporate Community" is a manufacturer of all types of reels, headquartered in Rutland, VT. The business succession transition for Carris Reels started in 1993, when Bill Carris began to sell his family's interest in the company to their employees through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Carris Reels is now owned 100% by the ESOP.Zingerman's, a business with 600 employees, best known for its world renowned deli in Ann Arbor, is actually a group of 8 (soon to be 9) cooperating businesses known as the "Zingerman's Community of Businesses", which was started by 2 partners, Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw. It is now run by a group of 18 partners who manage the various businesses and make policy for the whole group. All the partners began as Zingerman's employees, and developed their Zingerman's businesses through the "Path to Partnership" with help from the founders. The partners group is now working through a business succession plan with the founding partners. While the exact form it will take is not yet determined, the group is interested in creating a co-op style of particpative worker ownership. Ron Mauer chairs the Zingerman's partners group.
Community-building thru ministry and community-based businesses - Church of the Messiah, C2BE and Zingerman's
Last Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, the Center for Community Based Enterprise (C2BE) provided 30 members of Zingerman's Diversity and Inclusion Committee with a tour of the community wealth building programs at Church of the Messiah and initiated an ongoing dialogue with youth and adult church members and leaders of the C2BE- which is located at the church) about what needs to be done to restore community and rebuild neighborhoods like the Island View neighborhood on Detroit's east side. The church, Zingerman's and C2BE share a strong belief in the ability to make change by supporting and enlisting the talents of every individual to build community well-being and wealth. Following is a recent interview of Pastor Randolph.
"Interview of Reverend Barry Randolph, Pastor, Church of the Messiah, Detroit, Michigan by Steve Dubb, Research Director, The Democracy Collaborative, October 2013
Reverend Barry Randolph is pastor of Church of the Messiah, a Detroit church that has developed four social enterprises to date, one of which is a private community-based business and three of which are owned by the Church directly. The Church has also sponsored a CDC for the past 35 years. In addition to being a pastor, Rev. Randolph is also a leader in the community having joined other groups in coalitions, including church consortia and a public safety group. Barry is also on the board of the Center for Community Based Enterprises (C2BE). [Full disclosure: the interviewer is also on the Board of C2BE]. The Church, founded more than a century ago, found itself on hard times a decade ago, but under Rev. Randolph’s leadership, the Church has grown rapidly, becoming a leading community group in Detroit revitalization work.
Could you talk about your background in small business and how you came to be pastor of the Church of the Messiah? " ... (Read More)
Mondragon Co-op Community puts workers first in Fagor bankruptcy - unlike Detroit bankruptcy
Unlike the US Bankruptcy Court in Detroit, and the Michigan Governor and Attorney General who chose not to protect worker pensions in the Detroit bankruptcy, a cooperative community of businesses shows that their solidarity, in the form of funds from the other companies, can support the workers with resources and jobs when faced with a major bankruptcy. Following are excerpts from the blog of Michael Peck responding to an article in The Economist claiming that the Fagor bankruptcy severely tested the "real world" ability of community-centered business to survive. In fact, this difficult example is proof of the strength of economic solidarity. Michael of the MAPA Group is the US representative of the Mondragon Cooperative Group."The Mondragon Cooperative Group (“Humanity At Work” through Cooperation, Participation, Social Responsibility and Innovation, headquartered in the Basque region between Spain and France) is ranked as the world’s largest worker-owned industrial cooperative group but also as the top Basque industrial group, tenth in Spain with 80,000 personnel, a presence in 70 countries, and winner of the 2013 Financial Times “Boldness in Business” award. Mondragon’s 60-year mission is to generate wealth for society through values-centric and market competitive business development and job creation under the “one worker, one vote” cooperative framework where labor is sovereign and capital, while essential, is subordinate to sustaining job creation.Yesterday, Fagor Electrodomestics, which evolved from the original Mondragon household white goods manufacturing cooperative (ULGOR) to hold almost a third of its domestic sector market share for decades, was declared formally insolvent (859 million Euros in debt, 5,642 jobs at risk, 100,000 Euros left in the corporate account). Predictably, global media “punditcrats” have wasted no time in jumping on the “see, I told you so” bandwagon. Case in point, The Economist, “Trouble in workers’ paradise–...Also yesterday, Mondragon’s social mutual, Lagun Aro, announced it would propose a 1.5% raise in contributions from all members at Mondragon’s next General Assembly to support its role in providing additional unemployment benefits to displaced Fagor Electrodomestics worker-owners. This other news received only local media coverage and therein lies the conventional wisdom disconnect from the healing power of practicing metrics-based solidarity. (Read More) http://www.mapagroup.net/blog/#sthash.rUuF4pwM.dpufhttp://www.mapagroup.net/blog/
