Thinking about selling your business? What are your priorities?
What is most important to you? Discover how Employee Ownership ensures fair value, preserves your legacy, empowers employees, and strengthens your community for lasting impact.
We’re a mission-driven Non-Profit providing services at no cost to you.
Achieve Financial Success and Much More
Selling your business requires balancing financial and emotional considerations for a smooth transition.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans
Learn how ESOPs empower employees as co-owners, fostering engagement, productivity, and long-term growth for your business.
Worker Cooperatives
Discover how Worker Co-ops give employees equal ownership and decision-making power, driving innovation and collaboration.
Employee Ownership Trusts
Explore how EOTs enable a smooth transition to employee ownership, protecting your legacy while supporting business stability.
Our Mission
We are a non profit resource colab for employee ownership—activating the transformative power of employee ownership through content, curriculum, and community.
Ask VAL
Welcome to Val, the Baker Project’s virtual assistant, providing reliable answers to your employee ownership questions from trusted, industry-validated sources.
Learn about Employee Ownership Benefits
- Business Performance
- Wealth Creation
- Employee Engagement
- Community Impact
Connect with the community
Connect with other business leaders and industry experts on employee ownership
+ 10
Finding the Perfect Fit: Aligning Seller Priorities with the right Buyer
Employee Ownership
Buyer’s Objective
Ownership Transfer
Financing
Seller
Employees
Company
Community
Employee Ownership
Promote long-term employee and company success.
To employees through ESOP, EOT or cooperative structure
Bank loan, seller financing, tax benefits
Fair market value with tax advantages while retaining control
Ownership stake, business and job growth
Stability and growth with independence
Positive impact with job retention
Favored by owners who look for fair market based price and positive legacy, employee welfare, and community impact, with potential for a gradual transition and tax benefits.
Strategic Buyer
Merge for synergies with products or processes.
Sale to an acquiring company to align with strategic goals
Cash, may include seller earnout
Premium price but legacy loss
Layoffs and process adoption expected
Long-term integration into buyer
Neutral or negative impact
Strong valuation based on integration into a larger organization that results in the disappearance of the selling company over time.
Financial Buyer (PE)
Maximize short-term returns and resell in 3–7 years
To a private equity firm or holding company
Highly leveraged, often with seller earnout
Higher valuation but loss of control
Layoffs and cultural changes likely
Short-term financial focus
Neutral or negative impact
Short term investment returns and a focus on exit strategy combined with significant company, employee and community disruption.
Finding the Perfect Fit: Aligning Seller Priorities with the right Buyer
Employee Ownership
Strategic Buyer
Financial Buyer (Private Equity)
90% of selling shareholder are satisfied with their ESOP transaction
National Center for Employee Ownership
Start Your Business Succession Journey Here
Identify your Priorities and Options
Assess your business readiness.
Plan your Next Move
Work with the Baker Project to determine the path forward.
Achieve your Legacy
Connect with vetted advisors, community members and other employee ownership companies.
Multiplying Business and Employee Success
Selling your business requires balancing financial and emotional considerations for a smooth transition.
Accelerate Business Performance and Success with Engaged Employees
Transform your business through empowered employees
Receive Fair Market Value for your Business
Employee ownership preserves your legacy and monetizes your hard work
Support Financial Goals for Owners and Employees
Employee ownership preserves your legacy and monetizes your hard work
Strengthen your Community
Employee ownership leads to stronger, more resilient communities
Resources to Support Your Journey
Unlock your business potential with information to support your journey
Resources to Support Your Journey
Unlock your business potential with information to support your journey
Tools to Guide Your Ownership Journey
Business Assessment Survey
Evaluate your company’s transition readiness and identify the best path for succession.
+ 9 Tools coming soon
According to the Exit Planning Institute, 75% of business owners who exited their businesses profoundly regretted it within a year. 98% of owners feel that succession and exit planning are important, yet 83% have no transition or exit plan.
National Center for Employee Ownership
Real Stories. Real Impact
Stephenson Equipment Inc
Collaborative Growth
Employee ownership builds a collaborative culture, fostering sustainable growth and long-term success.
Lift Inc
Smooth Transition
ESOP transactions helped Lift Inc. secure liquidity, establish a transition plan, and retain management control for stability.
Guttman Holdings
Empowered Employees
Employee ownership aligns strategic goals, driving employee performance, growth, and the company’s long-term value.
Customer Testimonials
The Visionaries Behind Employee Ownership
Ken Baker (Chairman) is CEO of NewAge Industries, Inc. in Southampton, PA. Ken is 2nd generation with over 20 years as CEO but started with the firm in high school as the janitor. NewAge manufactures plastic tubing and hose, rubber tubing and hose, fittings, fluid flow systems and RFID tag solutions. Ken sold 40% (S ESOP) of the company to the employees over 7 years ago and is an active member of the employee ownership community. Ken has put NewAge on the track to sustainability by installing one of the largest solar arrays in PA with 4,008 solar panels.
Scott Moon, Executive Director of The Baker Project, brings over 30 years of experience in launching teams, products, and businesses. He played a leadership role at Chatham Financial, an employee-owned company, for nearly a decade and held senior positions at Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, EY, Dell, and Citibank. Scott holds a B.S. in Business Management from Penn State and an MBA from Washington University. He actively supports his community through volunteering with Surrey Services for Seniors, the Tredyffrin Township Library Foundation, and T/E Cares.
Emalie Martzall, Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership (PaCEO), also leads marketing efforts for The Baker Project. With experience in social media and digital marketing, she has worked with H2H Marketing, Chatham University, and NextGen America. Emalie interned with Pittsburgh’s Department of Innovation and Performance, focusing on voter mobilization and tech policy. A Chatham University graduate, she holds a B.A. in Marketing and Political Science and an MBA in Nonprofit Management.
The Visionaries Behind Employee Ownership
Scott Moon, Executive Director of The Baker Project, brings over 30 years of experience in launching teams, products, and businesses. He played a leadership role at Chatham Financial, an employee-owned company, for nearly a decade and held senior positions at Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, EY, Dell, and Citibank. Scott holds a B.S. in Business Management from Penn State and an MBA from Washington University. He actively supports his community through volunteering with Surrey Services for Seniors, the Tredyffrin Township Library Foundation, and T/E Cares.
Emalie Martzall, Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership (PaCEO), also leads marketing efforts for The Baker Project. With experience in social media and digital marketing, she has worked with H2H Marketing, Chatham University, and NextGen America. Emalie interned with Pittsburgh’s Department of Innovation and Performance, focusing on voter mobilization and tech policy. A Chatham University graduate, she holds a B.A. in Marketing and Political Science and an MBA in Nonprofit Management.
Ken Baker (Chairman) is CEO of NewAge Industries, Inc. in Southampton, PA. Ken is 2nd generation with over 20 years as CEO but started with the firm in high school as the janitor. NewAge manufactures plastic tubing and hose, rubber tubing and hose, fittings, fluid flow systems and RFID tag solutions. Ken sold 40% (S ESOP) of the company to the employees over 7 years ago and is an active member of the employee ownership community. Ken has put NewAge on the track to sustainability by installing one of the largest solar arrays in PA with 4,008 solar panels.
FAQs
For questions regarding employee ownership, just “Run BPEO App”
What is the Baker Project?
The Baker Project for Employee Ownership (BPEO) is a non-profit initiative helping companies explore and adopt employee ownership for business succession. By collaborating with industry experts, academic institutions, and thought leaders, the BPEO provides tools, resources, and training to support businesses, professionals, and communities in learnings about, and creating impactful employee ownership solutions.
What is the mission of the Baker Project?
The mission of the BPEO is to increase the number of employee-owned businesses by raising awareness and providing resources to educate multiple audiences about the benefits of employee ownership.
What support does the BPEO offer?
The BPEO supports businesses through:
- Content & Tools: Resources to navigate and sustain employee ownership.
- Curriculum: Educational materials for professionals, academia, and employees.
- Community: Networking opportunities to share best practices and trends.
Who benefits from the BPEO?
- Companies: Businesses of all sizes and industries exploring employee ownership.
- Professional Organizations: Accounting, legal, financial, and organizational professionals supporting ownership transitions.
- Higher Education: Institutions incorporating employee ownership into curricula.
- Social Equity Organizations: Groups addressing wealth gaps and social equity issues.
How is the BPEO funded?
The BPEO is funded by an endowment from Ken Baker, Chairman of NewAge Industries, and supported by sponsorships, corporate gifts, foundations, and other contributions.
What is the governance structure of the BPEO?
Oversight for the activities of the BPEO falls under the PaCEO leadership and its Board of Directors. Strategy and day to day operations fall under the responsibility of the Executive Director of the BPEO.
What types of employee ownership does the BPEO support?
The BPEO supports all forms of broad-based employee ownership, including (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) ESOPs, Worker Cooperatives, (Employee Ownership Trusts) EOTs, Direct Ownership, and equity compensation programs.
Who leads the BPEO?
Scott Moon is the Executive Director of the BPEO; Scott has a deep background and understanding of employee ownership having worked for an employee owned company for over 9 years. Learn More
Is the BPEO a political organization?
No, as a 501(c)(3), the BPEO does not engage in political or lobbying activities.
How can I support the BPEO?
- Partners: Collaborate to create training and programming.
- Companies: Partner to develop employee ownership curriculum.
- Individuals: Follow us on social media, visit our website, or join the conversation.