At the 2024 NCEO Annual Conference earlier this month, one of the questions I heard most often from attendees was "where can I find state-specific ESOP information?" Whether you’re a current ESOP and looking to connect with other employee-owned companies in your state, or you’re ESOP-curious and searching for statistics on your state’s ESOP breakdown, the NCEO is here to help.

To start things off on an engaging note, we recently awarded NCEO state superlatives to states demonstrating ESOP excellence this year—see our yearbook spread below, which provides some geographical ESOP fast facts compiled by our research team. For an even deeper dive into these statistics, visit our Employee Ownership by the Numbers page, which presents counts and characteristics of ESOPs and other employee stock ownership plans in the US, using data made available by the US Department of Labor, Survey of Consumer Finances, and other sources.

Looking to identify fellow ESOP companies in your state or industry? Head over to our State and Industry ESOP Fact Sheets (membership login required), updated in April 2024. Simply click on your desired state within the interactive map of the US to download PowerPoint slides containing a brief overview of that state’s ESOP community. Each set of slides includes a map of ESOP company locations, the number of privately held ESOP companies headquartered in the state, the number of ESOP participants, an industry breakdown, and more. Once you’ve learned a bit more about the ESOP landscape in your state, don’t be afraid to reach out to your local ESOP companies via their official websites or contact forms—in this community, companies are typically more than eager to share their ESOP wisdom with newcomers.

Now that you’ve pinpointed the ESOPs in your area and have made some digital connections, consider incorporating in-person networking by determining if your state has a state center for employee ownership. Nestled under the umbrella of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX), a national nonprofit focused on significantly expanding employee ownership across the United States by establishing and supporting a network of independent nonprofit state centers, these centers often host digital and in-person events to help further employee ownership in their home state. 

Ready for the big leagues? Consider attending the 2024 Fall Forum or the 2025 Annual Conference, the NCEO’s upcoming large-scale events. Not only will you be able to attend educational sessions tailored to your area of interest in the employee ownership sphere, but you’ll also be able to connect with employee-owners from all over the country (including your home state) and forge connections that last your entire career.