Top 25 Cities
The Top 25 Cities for Employee Ownership 2023
August 23, 2023
We’re excited to announce the release of The Top 25 Cities for Employee Ownership for 2023! Our second annual list showcases the cities in America that have successfully fostered a positive environment for employee ownership to thrive. Collectively, this year’s Top 25 Cities are home to 726 employee-owned companies. From small towns to large metros, these cities range in size from 23,000 people to over 2 million. They represent 17 states - 2 more than last year - with a range of cultures and political orientations. The diversity of cities in the Top 25 shows the broad appeal of employee ownership. Employee ownership changes the relationship between business and community. When employees have an ownership stake, companies become rooted in their communities. The wealth they build flows through the local economy, the jobs they create are more stable, and they become more involved in service. Employee ownership is a win for workers, businesses and communities. Our list is the result of a comprehensive effort to identify every employee-owned business in America, including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Worker Cooperatives, Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), and broad-based equity compensation plans such as stock options. By combining our unique certification data with government fillings, news articles, website visits, and direct phone conversations we have curated the only up-to-date list of every employee-owned company in America. Our ranking of the Top 25 takes into account the number of employee-owned companies, their concentration relative to the city’s population, and the portion of companies that have recently become employee-owned. We restrict ourselves to all cities with at least five employee-owned companies. Our methodology creates a balanced list that puts every city on an even playing field. If you’re curious to see how many employee-owned companies are in your town, search your city in our Directory of Employee-Owned Companies. #1 - HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA The capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg is the #1 city for employee ownership in 2023! Harrisburg is home to 15 employee-owned companies, including HB Global and Touch of Color Flooring. With a population of 58,320, Harrisburg has one employee-owned company for every 2,536 residents. Legislation has recently been introduced that would create resources for employee ownership. The legislation, LPRO 3835, also known as The Employee Ownership Assistance Program, would establish an office for employee ownership, as well as provide assistance to businesses converting to employee ownership. #2 - BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA Known for all things counter-culture, Berkeley is the #2 city for employee ownership. Home to 25 employee-owned companies, including Mal Warwick Donordigital, Alternative Technologies, Biofuel Oasis, Drought Smart Collective, and Heartwood Custom Woodworking. Berkeley continues to be a hub for employee ownership and worker cooperatives. In September 2022, California passed SB 1407, The Employee Ownership Act, to expand employee ownership in California. The law will establish a dedicated office for employee ownership. The law will aid existing businesses transition to employee ownership, while also expanding other employee-owned ventures, whether through new startups or aid provided to current employee-owned firms. The employee ownership office’s work encompasses ESOPs, worker cooperatives, and various other models. #3 - CINCINNATI, OHIO Sitting on the Ohio River, Cincinnati is the #3 best city for employee ownership and is home to 38 employee-owned companies, including Al. Neyer, Intrust IT, Ohio Valley Electrical Services, Parallel Technologies and The Motz Corporation. Top industries for employee ownership in Cincinnati include IT consulting, manufacturing, electrical contractors, and wholesalers. Cincinnati is also home to Co-Op Cincy, a non-profit organization that specializes in worker cooperatives. With a population of 304,548, Cincinnati has one employee-owned business for every 8,460 residents. #4 - FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA Just outside of the nation’s capital, Fairfax, Virginia is the #4 best city for employee ownership. Fairfax moved up 10 spots from 2022! Fairfax is home to 13 employee-owned companies, including Highlight Technologies, Miklos Systems, Bishop Equipment Company, and Foxhole Technology, Inc. With a population of 23,429, Fairfax has one employee-owned company for every 1,802 residents, making it the smallest city on the list. Major industries for employee ownership in Fairfax are consulting and engineering. #5 - MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA Minneapolis rounds out the Top 5 as the #5 overall city for employee ownership! With 45 employee-owned companies, including Swanson & Youngdale, H2I Group, Kurt Manufacturing Company, Alliant Engineering, and Intuitive Technology Group. The city has taken an active approach to fostering employee ownership. In 2016, it expanded its Business Technical Assistance Program (B-TAP) to include services aimed at supporting the development of new Minneapolis co-operatives by offering feasibility training and technical assistance for businesses interested in converting into a cooperative. #6 – HONOLULU, HAWAII The state capital and largest city in Hawaii, Honolulu is the #6 best city for employee ownership. Honolulu is home to 37 employee-owned companies, including Generator & Power Systems LLC, Island Pacific Distributors, Roberts Hawaii, and The Solaray Corporation. Honolulu moved up 5 spots from the 2022 list! Top industries include engineering, wholesale, and HVAC services. A collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, Project Equity and Obran Cooperative, created the Business Resiliency Through Employee Ownership initiative to help improve economic health. One goal of this initiative is to provide resources for small businesses to transition to employee ownership. #7 – GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Located just east of Lake Michigan, Grand Rapids is the #7 best city for employee ownership, up from #12 on the 2022 list. Grand Rapids is home to 28 employee-owned companies, including Custom Profile, Progressive AE, Dorner Works, and Watkins Ross & Company. Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX) received a three year grant specifically focused on identifying businesses in the Grand Rapids and greater Kent County with owners that are near retirement to educate them on the benefits of employee ownership as an exit strategy. In turn, they hope to keep more businesses local while creating more employee-owners. #8 – HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA Huntsville, Alabama is the #8 city for employee ownership in 2023, up 5 places from 2022. The most populous city in Alabama, Huntsville is home to 22 employee-owned companies, including Inline Electric Supply, Ignite, OASYS, Inc, Pinnacle Solutions, Radiance Technologies and Torch Technologies. Top industries for employee ownership in Huntsville are engineering, defense contracting, aerospace, and IT consulting. From introducing a state center to proposed legislation, there’s lots of interest in expanding employee ownership throughout the state. The Sand Mountain Cooperative Education Center for example, is working toward cooperative institutions to expand and strengthen worker-ownership. #9 - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI St. Louis, Missouri is the #9 city for employee ownership in 2023. The gateway to the west, St. Louis is home to 31 employee-owned cities, including Balke Brown Transwestern, Roeslein & Associates, USA Mortgage. Top industries for employee ownership include real estate, construction, and engineering. With a population of 297,645 residents, St. Louis has one employee owned company for every 9,922 residents. #10 - WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA Walnut Creek, California is the #10 best city for employee ownership for 2023, rounding out the top 10! Walnut Creek is home to 12 employee owned companies, including Brown and Caldwell, InVision Communications, and moved up 11 spots from 2022, MKA International, Inc., Davis Home Pros, and Skyline Capital Builders, LLC. Walnut Creek has a long history of employee ownership. Brown and Caldwell is one of the older ESOPs in the country as they established their program in 1962 — that’s over 60 years of being employee-owned! #11 - OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA Oakland, California is the #11 best city for employee ownership in 2023. Known as “The Town,” Oakland is home to 39 employee owned businesses, the 8th most of any city. Companies in Oakland include MN Builders, Menke & Associates, Monterey Mechanical, and Paramount Export Company. Oakland is also home to a number of non-profit organizations that promote employee ownership, including the National Center for Employee Ownership and The Democracy at Work Institute. #12 – DUBLIN, OHIO Dublin, Ohio is the #12 best city for employee ownership for 2023, their first appearance on our list and the second city in Ohio to make the list! A suburb of Columbus, Dublin is home to 10 employee owned companies which include Parallel Technologies, FST Logistics, Ulrey Foods, Ruscilli Construction, and VARGO solutions. Co-Op Columbus supports the Central Ohio community to help worker-owned and shared-equity cooperatives thrive. #13 - ATLANTA, GEORGIA Atlanta, Georgia is the #13 city for employee ownership in 2023 and the second city to be ranked from Georgia. The capital of Georgia, Atlanta is home to 38 employee-owned companies, including 1910 Legacy Enterprises, Benning Construction Company, Ogden Forklifts, and Prestwick Construction Company. Atlanta is also home to the Georgia Center for Employee Ownership which aims to create more employee owners throughout the state by providing resources about the benefits of employee ownership. #14 – DENVER, COLORADO Denver, Colorado is the #14 best city for employee ownership for 2023! The Mile High City is home to 43 employee owned companies - making it the #3 city for total number of EO businesses, which include Progressive Retail Management, Bow River Capital, Logisticsflow, and Truce Media. The state’s capital also hosts the nation’s first permanent office for employee ownership which is a division of The Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT). The Colorado Employee Ownership Office offers resources for businesses who are considering employee ownership models. One of which is a grant to help offset the costs of transitioning to employee ownership. #15 – SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS Springfield, Illinois is the #15 best city for employee ownership. The state’s capital has 13 employee owned companies including Andrews Engineering, Henson Robinson Company, M.J. Kellner, and Springfield Electric Supply. With a population of 113,671, Springfield has one employee owned company for every 9,473 residents. #16 – FARGO, ND Fargo, North Dakota is the #16 city for employee ownership in 2023! The state’s most populous city, Fargo is home to 33 employee-owned companies, including Dakota Supply Group, OK Tire Store, and Fargo Glass & Paint Company. With a population of roughly 125,000, Fargo has one employee-owned company for every 4,800 residents. Top industries for employee ownership in Fargo include distribution, manufacturing, and engineering. #17 – SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA San Francisco is the #17 city for employee ownership in 2023. “The City by the Bay” is home to 57 employee-owned companies, making it #2 in terms of total number. , including Recology, Inheritance Funding Company, Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders. Recology Is one of the largest employee-owned companies from the list with just under 4,000 employees. The City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Small Business Development Center are partnering with Project Equity to educate locally owned businesses on the advantages of converting to employee ownership. San Francisco was also part of the Democracy at Work Institute’s 2019-2020 Shared Equity in Economic Development (SEED) Fellowship, an initiative focused on creating worker cooperatives. #18 – YORK, PENNSYLVANIA York, Pennsylvania is ranked #18 for employee ownership in 2023, up from #24 in 2022. The second city to be ranked from Pennsylvania, York is home to 9 employee-owned companies, including Weldon Solutions, Flnchbaugh, and Minnich’s Pharmacy. With a population of 43,907, York is also the second-smallest city on our list. York has one employee-owned company for every 5,488 residents. Top industries for employee ownership in York are engineering, HVAC, and manufacturing. #19 – BOULDER, COLORADO Boulder, Colorado is making its first appearance on the list as the #19 best city for employee ownership. The second city ranked from Colorado, Boulder is home to 11 employee owned companies which include Civic Consulting Collaborative, Namaste Solar, and Flatirons Bank. With a population of 107,645, Boulder has one employee owned company for every 9,786 residents. #20 – PORTLAND, OREGON Portland, Oegon is the #20 best best city for employee ownership in 2023. Known as the “City of Roses,” Portland is home to 37 employee-owned companies including Cascade Energy, Breakside Brewery, DKS Associates, Durham & Bates Insurance, and Hunter-Davisson all call Portland home. Top industries for employee ownership in Portland include architecture, engineering, and construction. #21 – IRVINE, CALIFORNIA Irvine, California is the #21 best city for employee ownership in 2023 - making it the fifth (but not final!) city from California to be ranked. There are 17 companies that are headquartered in Irvine including Bivar, Inc., International Education Corporation, MAAS Companies, and Murow Development Consultants. With a population of 283,700, Irvine has an employee owned company for every 16,688 residents. #22 - LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA Lynchburg, Virginia is ranked #22 for employee ownership in 2023. Lynchburg is the second city from Virginia ranked on this year’s list and to 14 employee-owned companies, including Electronic Design & Manufacturing, Scott Insurance, and Wiley & Wilson. Lynchburg is one of just nine cities in the Top 50 for both the total number and per capita number of employee-owned companies. Top industries for employee ownership in Lynchburg include insurance, engineering, and HVAC services. #23 – SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Seattle, Washington is the #23 best city for employee ownership in 2023, a newbie to the list. There are 32 employee owned companies headquartered in The Emerald City including Charlie’s Produce, Harris Group, and PRR. Earlier this year, Washington’s governor signed a bill that would expand employee ownership resources. This new law will establish a state employee ownership program to promote ESOPs, worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs). This law can also provide a revolving loan fund to directly support the costs of transitioning to an employee ownership model. #24 – SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA San Diego, California is the #24 best city for employee ownership and the fifth (and final) city to be ranked from California. This SoCal city is home to 45 employee owned companies, including, ATA Engineering, Carrier Johnson, Epsilon Systems Solutions, Pegasus Clean, Quartus Engineering, Torrey Pines Landscape, and Western Lighting. In 2021, The Workforce Partnership released a study that revealed employee owned businesses throughout San Diego are more resilient and profitable than private companies. #25 – HOUSTON, TEXAS Coming in at the #25 best city for employee ownership, Houston, Texas is the final city on the list. Houston is home to 62 employee owned companies including Access Sciences Corporation, Pieper-Houston Electric LP, Stress Engineering Services. Houston is #1 for the number of employee owned companies and total population. We are proud to showcase the cities in America that have done the most to foster a positive environment for employee ownership. These cities are setting the standard for how to encourage employee ownership. At Certified Employee-Owned, we will continue to update our Directory of Employee-Owned Companies and create visibility for successful approaches to building an employee-owned economy. With a population of just over 2 million, Houston has one employee owned company for every 37,357 residents. Note: All data on the number of employee-owned companies comes from the Certified Employee-Owned Directory as of 7/28/2023. All data on city populations comes from the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2020.
Read More ▶The Top 25 Cities for Employee Ownership 2022
October 5, 2022
Employee ownership changes the relationship between business and community. When every employee has an ownership stake, companies become rooted in place. The wealth they build flows through the local economy, the jobs they create are more stable, and they become more involved in service. Employee ownership is a win for workers, businesses and communities. That’s why we are proud to announce a new list highlighting the Top 25 Cities for Employee Ownership. The Top 25 Cities for Employee Ownership showcases the cities in America that have done the most to foster a positive environment for employee ownership. Collectively they are home to 569 employee-owned companies. From small towns to large metros, these cities range in size from 17,000 people to over 850,000. From the coasts to the heartland, they represent 15 states with a range of cultures and political orientations. The diversity of cities in the Top 25 highlights the broad appeal of employee ownership. Our list is the result of a comprehensive effort to identify every employee-owned business in America, including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Worker Cooperatives, Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), and broad-based equity compensation plans such as stock options. By combining our unique certification data with government fillings, news articles, website visits, and direct phone conversations we have curated the only up-to-date list of every employee-owned company in America. Our ranking of the Top 25 takes into account both the number and the concentration of employee-owned companies in each city. We restrict ourselves to all cities with at least five employee-owned companies and look at the total number and the per capita density. Our methodology creates a balanced list that puts every city on an even playing field. If you’re curious to see how many employee-owned companies are in your town, search your city name in our Directory of Employee-Owned Companies. #1 - FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA Fargo, North Dakota is the #1 city for employee ownership in 2022! The state’s most populous city, Fargo is home to 26 employee-owned companies, including Dakota Supply Group, Border States Electric Supply, Fargo Glass & Paint Company, and Scheels. Fargo is the only city in America in the top 25 for both the total number and per capita density of employee-owned companies. With a population of roughly 125,000, Fargo has one employee-owned company for every 4,800 residents. Top industries for employee ownership in Fargo include distribution, manufacturing, and engineering. #2 - BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA Berkeley, California is ranked #2 for employee ownership in 2022! Known for all things counter-culture, Berkeley is home to 22 employee-owned companies, including Mal Warwick Donordigital, Arizmendi Bakery, Sun Light & Power, and Alchemy Collective Cafe. Berkeley is the only city other than Fargo to be in the top 30 for both the total and per capita density of employee-owned companies. Berkeley also stands out as the #3 city for Worker Cooperatives with 18. Berkeley is partnering with Project Equity and the Sustainable Economies Law Center to help local businesses stay locally-owned and preserve their legacy by becoming employee-owned. #3 HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is the 3rd best city for employee ownership in 2022! The capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg is home to 17 employee-owned companies, including HB Global, D&H Distributing, and Schaedler Yesco Distribution. With a population of 58,000, Harrisburg has one employee-owned company for every 3,400 residents, making it the #9 city for per capita employee ownership. #4 - CINCINNATI, OHIO Cincinnati, Ohio is the #4 city for employee ownership in 2022! Sitting on the Ohio River, Cincinnati is home to 32 employee-owned companies, including Al. Neyer, Intrust IT, Ohio Valley Electrical Services, Parallel Technologies and The Motz Corporation. Top industries for employee ownership in Cincinnati include IT consulting, manufacturing, electrical contractors, and wholesalers. #5 - MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA Minneapolis rounds out the Top 5 as the #5 overall city for employee ownership! With 40 employee-owned companies, Minneapolis is also the #5 city in terms of total number of EO businesses. H2I Group, Kurt Manufacturing Company, Brin Glass Company and RSP Architects all call Minneapolis home. The city has taken an active approach to fostering employee ownership. In 2016, it expanded its Business Technical Assistance Program (B-TAP) to include services aimed at supporting the development of new Minneapolis co-operatives by offering feasibility training and technical assistance for businesses interested in converting into a cooperative. #6 - MADISON, WISCONSIN Madison, Wisconsin is the #6 city for employee ownership. The state capital of Wisconsin, Madison is home to 27 employee-owned companies, including Vita Plus, Bock Water Heaters and Just Coffee Cooperative. This midwestern university town stands out because of the Madison Cooperative Development Coalition (MCDC), a City of Madison-funded initiative to form worker cooperatives through co-op education, technical assistance, outreach to potential or existing business owners, and $10,000 seed grants to cooperative startups. #7 - LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA Lynchburg, Virginia is ranked #7 for employee ownership in 2022. Lynchburg is home to 15 employee-owned companies, including Electronic Design & Manufacturing, Scott Insurance, and Wiley & Wilson. Lynchburg is one of just nine cities in the Top 50 for both the total number and per capita number of employee-owned companies. Top industries for employee ownership in Lynchburg include insurance, engineering, and HVAC services. #8 - SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI Springfield, Missouri is the 8th best city for employee ownership in 2022. One of just three cities in the top 40 for both total and per capita employee-owned companies, Springfield is home to 21, including SRC Holdings, Ollis/Akers/Arney, Penmac Staffing, Global Recovery Group, NewStream Enterprises, DeWitt & Associates, and South Barnes Development Company. SRC is one of the most well-known employee-owned companies in America because its unique approach to open book management led to the creation of The Great Game of Business, which thousands of companies now use to increase engagement and business performance. A number of Springfield companies are also behind the recently launched Missouri Center for Employee Ownership. #9 - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI St. Louis, Missouri is the #9 city for employee ownership in 2022. The gateway to the west, St. Louis is home to 28 employee-owned cities, including Balke Brown Transwestern, Roeslein & Associates, USA Mortgage, and Graybar Electric. Top industries for employee ownership include real estate, construction, and engineering. #10 - OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA Oakland, California rounds out the top ten as the #10 ranked city for employee ownership. Known as “The Town,” Oakland is home to 35 employee owned businesses, the 8th most of any city. Companies in Oakland include MN Builders, Menke & Associates, Paramount Export Company, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Coracao Chocolate, and New Harbinger. Oakland is also home to a number of non-profit organizations that promote employee ownership, including the National Center for Employee Ownership and The Democracy at Work Institute. #11 - HONOLULU, HAWAII Honolulu, Hawaii is the #11 city for employee ownership in 2022. The state capital and largest city in Hawaii, Honolulu is home to 30 employee-owned companies, including Generator & Power Systems LLC, Island Pacific Distributors, Roberts Hawaii, and The Solaray Corporation. Top industries include engineering, wholesale, and HVAC services. #12 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Grand Rapids, Michigan is ranked #12 for employee ownership in 2022. Located just east of Lake Michigan, Grand Rapids is home to 21 employee-owned companies, including Custom Profile, Progressive AE, Axios, and Lumbermen’s. Grand Rapids is one of just nine cities in the Top 50 for both total number and per capita number of employee-owned companies. Top industries for employee ownership in Grand Rapids are engineering, construction materials, and manufacturing. #13 - HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA Huntsville, Alabama is the #13 city for employee ownership in 2022. The most populous city in Alabama, Huntsville is home to 20 employee-owned companies, including Ignite, OASYS, Inc, Pinnacle Solutions, Radiance Technologies, and Torch Technologies. Top industries for employee ownership in Huntsville are engineering, defense contracting, aerospace, and IT consulting. #14 - FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA Fairfax, Virginia is the 14th best city for employee ownership in 2022. Just outside of the nation’s capital, Fairfax is home to 10 employee-owned companies, including Miklos Systems, Fairfax Lumber & Hardware, and Zimmerman Associates. With a population of 23,429, Fairfax has one employee-owned company for every 2,343 residents, making it the #5 city for per capita employee ownership. Fairfax is also the 2nd smallest city on the Top 25. Major industries for employee ownership in Fairfax are consulting and engineering. #15 - SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA San Francisco, California is the #15 city for employee ownership in 2022. “The City by the Bay” is home to 50 employee-owned companies, making it #3 in terms of total number. Inheritance Funding Company, Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders, Gensler, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, Recology, and Swinerton all call San Francisco home. With a population of 866,606, San Francisco is the largest city on the Top 25. The City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Small Business Development Center are partnering with Project Equity to educate locally owned businesses on the advantages of converting to employee ownership. San Francisco was also part of the Democracy at Work Institute’s 2019-2020 Shared Equity in Economic Development (SEED) Fellowship, an initiative focused on creating worker cooperatives. #16 - PORTLAND, MAINE Portland, Maine is ranked #16 for employee ownership in 2022. Known for lighthouses and seafood, Portland is home to 11 employee-owned companies, including Systems Engineering, Artist & Craftsman Supply, Stroudwater Associates, and Wright-Ryan Construction. With a population of 66,803, Portland has one employee-owned company for every 6,073 residents, making it the #21 city for employee ownership per capita. Top industries for employee ownership in Portland are professional services and construction. #17 - ATLANTA, GEORGIA Atlanta, Georgia is the #17 city for employee ownership in 2022. The capital of Georgia, Atlanta is home to 30 employee-owned companies, including Benning Construction Company, Ogden Forklifts, Choate, EPI Breads, and Techwood Consulting. Atlanta is the #30 city for the total number of employee-owned companies, and several initiatives are underway to spread the model in Atlanta. The Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative (AWBI) and Project Equity have partnered to create a business retention strategy focused on employee ownership. Atlanta was also part of the Democracy at Work Institute’s 2018-2019 Shared Equity in Economic Development (SEED) Fellowship, an initiative focused on creating worker cooperatives. 3rd largest city #18 - ROANOKE, VIRGINIA Roanoke, Virginia is the 18th best city for employee ownership in 2022. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke is home to 12 employee-owned companies, including R&K Solutions, Lanford Brothers Company and The Branch Group. Top industries for employee ownership in Roanoke include professional services, engineering, and construction. #19 - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY Louisville, Kentucky is the #19 city for employee ownership in 2022. Kentcuky’s largest city and the host of one of the most famous horse races in the world, Louisville is home to 34 employee-owned companies, including Advanced Lifeline Services, Hall Contracting of Kentucky, Master’s Supply and S&D Group. With a population of 615,924, Louisville is the second-largest city among the Top 25. Louisville was also part of the Democracy at Work Institute’s 2019-2020 Shared Equity in Economic Development (SEED) Fellowship alongside San Francisco and Atlanta. #20 - SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA Santa Fe Springs, California rounds out the Top 20 as the #20 city for employee ownership in 2022. Located in Los Angeles County, Santa Fe Springs is home to eight employee-owned companies, including Great Western Sales, LeFiell Manufacturing Company, and MATT Construction. With a population of 17,349, Santa Fe Springs is the smallest city in the Top 25. Santa Fe Springs has one employee-owned company for every 2,169 residents, making it the #4 city for employee ownership per capita. #21 - WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA Walnut Creek, California is ranked #21 for employee ownership in 2022. The fifth city from California to make the list, Walnut Creek is home to 10 employee owned companies, including Brown and Caldwell, AEI Consultants, Diablo Magazine, HPGI Holdings, and Heffernan Insurance Brokers. Walnut Creek has a long history of employee ownership. Brown and Caldwell is one of the older ESOPs in the country as they established their program in 1962 — that’s 60 years of being employee-owned! #22 - PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the #22 city for employee ownership in 2022. Known as the “Steel City,” Pittsburgh is home to 20 employee-owned companies, including Standard Air & Lite Corporation, Aerotech, Garrison Hughes, and Ryan Construction. In 2019, The Pittsburgh City Council voiced strong support for employee ownership. This was followed by the creation of a Citywide Task Force taking a comprehensive approach to contacting business owners about converting to employee ownership. The Task Force represents a broad group that includes the Office of Mayor William Peduto, the Office of the Lt. Governor, the PA State House, the Pittsburgh City Council, the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership, the Democracy at Work Institute, Chatham University, and many Pittsburgh-based businesses. #23 - PORTLAND, OREGON Portland, OR is the 23rd best city for employee ownership in 2022. Known as the “City of Roses,” Portland is home to 32 employee-owned companies, good enough for #13 in terms of total number of EO businesses. Breakside Brewery, DKS Associates, Durham & Bates Insurance, and Hunter-Davisson all call Portland home. Top industries for employee ownership in Portland include architecture, engineering, and construction. #24 - YORK, PENNSYLVANIA York, Pennsylvania is ranked #24 for employee ownership in 2022. York is home to eight employee-owned companies. With a population of 43,907, York is the third-smallest city on our list. York has one employee-owned company for every 5,488 residents, making it the #18 city for employee ownership per capita. Top industries for employee ownership in York are engineering, HVAC, and manufacturing. #25 - ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Asheville, North Carolina rounds out the list as the 25th best city for employee ownership in 2022. Asheville is home to 10 employee-owned companies, including John W. Abbott Construction, MB Haynes, and Moog Music. Top industries for employee ownership in Asheville include manufacturing, construction, and printing. OTHER NOTABLE CITIES Two cities outside of the Top 25 are worth mentioning. The city with the most employee-owned companies is none other than New York. However, as the most populous city in the country with 8,804,190 inhabitants, New York has just one employee-owned company for every 82,282 inhabitants, making it the #181 city per capita (fourth from the bottom of the list). The city with the highest density of employee-owned companies is Zeeland, Michigan. Zeeland has six employee-owned companies and 5,522 residents, giving it one business for every 920 people. But it is just #150 in terms of total businesses. While both are remarkable, New York and Zeeland showcase why we chose an approach that considers both absolute and per capita number of employee-owned companies. We are proud to showcase the cities in America that have done the most to foster a positive environment for employee ownership. These cities are setting the standard for how to encourage employee ownership. At Certified Employee-Owned, we will continue to update our Directory of Employee-Owned Companies and create visibility for successful approaches to building an employee-owned economy. Note: All data on number of employee-owned companies comes from the Certified Employee-Owned Directory as of 6/16/2022. All data on city populations comes from the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2020.
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