Employee Ownership 100 List for 2009

Our Employee Ownership 100 list tracks the largest 100 employee-owned companies in the U.S. (ranked by the number of employees). The total number of employees in these companies grew to 598,500 in 2009, up from 580,500 in 2008, 579,000 in 2006, and 506,000 in 2005. As usual, Publix Super Markets topped the list, with 142,000 employees. The smallest companies on the list had 1,000 employees. Fifteen of the companies were supermarkets or (in one case) convenience stores, 15 were in construction or construction services, and 9 were in engineering and or architecture.

Total employment at the 94 companies that were on the list in both 2008 and 2009 grew 6.1% over last year, partly from acquisitions and partly from internal growth. Of the six companies that dropped off the list, two publicly traded companies had ceased to be majority employee-owned (SAIC and Journal Communications), three were sold (each was profitable at the time), and one private company no longer met the qualification rules. The Tribune Company is the only company on the list in bankruptcy. It is still owned by the ESOP, pending reorganization.

To make the list, at least 50% of the company's stock must be owned by an ESOP (which accounts for almost all the plans), or the company must have a profit sharing or similar plan, and/or a direct purchase plan in which most employees participate.