When Workers Become Owners

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

In 1983, entrepreneur and environmentalist Will Raap cofounded a catalog, mail-order business in Vermont to get farmers and gardeners the tools they need to grow food, nurture beautiful plants, and steward the land. Since then, Vermont’s own Gardener’s Supply Company has become well-known in our state’s agricultural community and beyond – with locations in Vermont, as well as New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

But what you might not know is that Will’s dedication was not just about the products he sold, but to the people who worked for him. In 1986, just three years after founding Gardener’s Supply, Will moved to establish the company as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan to give every employee at Gardener’s Supply the opportunity to share in profits and have a stake in the company for which they work. In 2009, they realized a huge achievement: 100% employee-ownership. Will passed away in 2022, but his immense commitment to his fellow workers, to the land, and to our communities, lives on today.

We went behind the scenes at Gardener’s Supply to hear about their move toward employee ownership. I hope you will take a moment to watch the video and hear what they had to say.

At a time when people across our country are working longer hours for lower wages – despite historic advances in technology and productivity – we should be proud that Vermont is helping to lead the way in employee ownership, worker co-ops, and other alternatives to corporate power.

Not only does employee ownership strengthen morale, dedication and creativity, but study after study has shown that this model also increases productivity, sales, savings and wages.

In 2019, about 25 million workers in the United States already owned some stock in the company where they worked. Today, more than 10,000 companies representing millions of workers across the country use an employee-ownership model. In Vermont, there are more than 50 employee-owned companies, including local names like Switchback, King Arthur Baking Company and Chroma Technology.

Will and his team in the early days of Gardener's Supply

Workers deserve a say in the decisions that impact their lives and a fair share of the profits that their work makes possible. By giving workers a seat at the table, like Will did, we can start to create an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy few.

If you want to learn more about worker ownership in Vermont, and how you can take part, visit the Vermont Employee Ownership Center at www.veoc.org or call 802-338-7448.

Sincerely,

Editor’s Note: We here at the Buzz want to take a moment to share our deep thanks and appreciation to the captain of the Bernie Buzz since 2021, Freeland Ellis. A native Vermonter, Freeland has helped Bernie highlight the great things happening across our state, resources to help people in need, and information on the news of the day. We all wish Freeland the best of luck in her next chapter and hope all our loyal readers will join us in thanking her for the amazing content she has delivered over these last few years.