About the Directory
The NCEO is committed to helping employee ownership thrive throughout all stages of the journey. Many visitors to the NCEO website are seeking to determine if employee ownership is a good fit for their companies, and we encourage them to consider being acquired by an ESOP company as one path to employee ownership. In 2023, we launched a toolkit on Being Acquired by an ESOP Company.
In the first quarter of 2025, we are adding a new resource to help company owners seeking acquisition by an ESOP company. We will launch a directory of acquisitive ESOP companies, along with other upgrades to the toolkit. The directory will list ESOP companies that have experience with making acquisitions, and we intend it to be a tool for potential target companies and for brokers.
Please read on to evaluate whether your company should request a listing in the Acquisitive ESOPs Directory. If so, use the intake form below to get started.
What companies in the directory can expect from the NCEO
- The toolkit and this directory will be on our website and available to the general public (i.e., not behind a paywall or in a members-only area of the website).
- We cannot make any commitments about how many possible target companies will contact you, but the NCEO is committed to making it as easy as possible for companies to find the directory and that your company is easy to find in the directory.
- The NCEO actively reaches out to potential employee-owned companies via presentations at business gatherings, publications, social media, and all other channels. We commit to including acquisitions as a path on the employee ownership “menu.”
- In addition to our outreach about employee ownership in general, the NCEO is also considering assertive outreach to exit planners, business brokers, and others who might be seeking to find buyers for their clients.
Expectations of your company
If you request to be listed in the directory, you should be comfortable with the following expectations of you:
- Understand that although the NCEO does not commit to screening companies before they are listed in the directory, we reserve the right to do so and the right to remove any company from their listing at any time and at our sole discretion.
- You commit to informing us of any substantial change that would affect your listing in our directory, especially the termination of your ESOP.
- You should periodically ensure that your listing is up to date and contact us with any corrections.
- You should maintain an NCEO membership in good standing, including a primary membership contact at your company whom we can reach. Please ensure that the primary contact for your membership is up to date, has a current email address, that they do not unsubscribe, and that NCEO.org is whitelisted on their account. (You can always contact membership@nceo.org to update your records.)
- You should also maintain a primary contact for this directory. That person can be the same or different from your primary membership contact, but should also be easily and reliably contacted by the NCEO. Please use that person’s information when you complete the intake form.
- We request that your company's website includes links to at least one page on NCEO.org. Suggested pages with useful resources:
- Homepage at nceo.org
- Our “Who Should Own Your Business After You?” booklet, which introduces employee ownership as a business succession tool with case studies
- Our article on working at an ESOP company for employee-owners
- Our research page with statistics on employee ownership and a compilation of studies on the benefits of employee ownership
- Our events page with upcoming live webinars and in-person events
- Although there is currently no charge to be listed in the directory, please understand that as we learn more about demand and work requirements we may charge a fee to add and maintain a listing. Fees may also support our work to reach new audiences of potential sellers.
Intake Form
By filling out the intake form below, you are requesting that your company be included in the Acquisitive ESOP Company Directory and agreeing to the expectations above.
Please list the name and contact information of the person at your company who should receive inquiries from potential target companies.