April 13, 2021

Phillip DeDominicis to Speak at 35th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference

Ohio ESOP Conference

The Ohio Employee Ownership Conference will run from May 5th – 7th, 2021

On May 7th, Menke Managing Director Phillip DeDominicis will be speaking at the Ohio Employee Ownership Conference to be held at Kent State University. Phil will be giving a presentation entitled, “Employee Owner Track: ABCs of ESOPs for ESOP Participants,” which will cover how to provide new employees with the essentials of what it means to be an ESOP participant.

Included topics will be:

  • How do I participate?
  • How do I build value – in the company and my ESOP account?
  • How do I receive my benefit?
  • And more..

Full conference agenda

Register Now to take advantage of the Early Bird Rate (expires April 15th)

 

Share this article:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
WhatsApp

Learn why an ESOP is better for You,
your Business, and your Employees

Man sailing toward mountains at sunset

Upcoming Web Seminar

The ESOP Exit Strategy

Free 90-Minute Webinar for Business Owners, CFOs & Advisors

Learn how ESOPs fuel growth, reduce taxes, and power succession—without giving up control.

Free live webinar · Wednesday, October 21st, 2026 · 10:00–11:30 AM PT / 1:00–2:30 PM ET

RESERVE MY SPOT
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Why 2026 is the Time for ESOPs

Strong companies are using ESOPs to play offense. With rates stabilizing and talent still tight, employee ownership is delivering a durable edge:

    • Founder Liquidity—On Your Terms. Create a market for your shares without selling to private equity or competitors.
    • Major Tax Efficiency. Enable capital‑gains deferral for selling shareholders (Section 1042 eligibility) and reduce or even eliminate ongoing corporate income tax for S‑Corporation ESOPs—freeing cash for growth.
    • Talent Magnet. Meaningful employee ownership boosts engagement, retention, and performance—without relying solely on wage increases.
    • Resilient Margins. ESOP tax advantages help counter wage pressure, input costs, and tariffs—so more operating cash flows to strategy.
    • Control & Culture Intact. Transition ownership while keeping leadership and values in place.. Transition ownership while keeping leadership and values in place.

Bottom line: ESOPs create a rare win‑win‑win—for owners, the business, and employees.

What You’ll Learn

ESOP 101—Modern Playbook
How ESOPs work in 2026, who qualifies, deal structures, and timelines.

Tax Strategies that Change the Math
Capital‑gains deferral, corporate tax reduction/elimination for S‑Corp ESOPs, deductible contributions, and cash‑flow modeling.

Talent & Culture
Retention without across‑the‑board raises; ownership communications that actually move the needle.

Protecting Margins
How ESOP incentives can offset cost inflation and support reinvestment.

Valuation & Financing in Today’s Market
Bank/seller notes, mezzanine options, rate considerations, and why “bankable ESOPs” are closing now.

Governance & Control
Board, trustee, and management roles—what really changes (and what doesn’t).

Who Should Attend

    • Business Owners planning an exit, partial sale, or recapitalization

    • CFOs evaluating capital structure and tax strategy

    • Advisors & Succession Planners guiding owner‑led companies

    • HR & ESOP Committee Members building engagement around ownership

Agenda (90 Minutes)

    1. Welcome, Speakers & Why ESOPs in 2026 (5 min)
      Quick orientation; who Menke is and why ESOPs are winning right now.
    2. ESOP Basics & Business Owner Benefits (10 min)
      What an ESOP is; liquidity, diversification, succession, productivity.
    3. Myth‑Busting: What ESOPs Do—and Don’t—Require (5 min)
      No, you don’t have to sell 30%+, borrow big, or give up control.
    4. Deal Structures & Transaction Paths (10 min)
      Cash‑contribution (pay‑as‑you‑go), leveraged (bank/seller notes), and stock contribution; when each fits.
    5. Typical Scenarios & Outcomes (10 min)
      Gradual sales, minority/majority sales, 100% buyouts, and recap strategies.
    6. Who’s a Strong Fit (and Common Constraints) (5 min)
      Profitability, team/transition readiness, industry notes.
    7. Tax Strategy Deep Dive (10 min)
      S‑Corp ESOP distribution savings; C‑Corp §1042 capital‑gains deferral; entity‑path options.
    8. Valuation & Pricing vs. Third‑Party Sales (8 min)
      FMV standards, control vs. minority value, practical comparisons.
    9. Financing the ESOP (8 min)
      Bank market overview, seller paper, balance‑sheet effects, cash‑flow modeling.
    10. Plan Operations & Employee Communications (8 min)
      Eligibility, vesting, distributions, disclosures, and how transparency drives results.
    11. Culture, Engagement & Measured Performance Uplift (6 min)
      What changes on day 2; tying ownership to productivity.
    12. Roadmap & Next Steps (3 min)
      Feasibility, design/adopt, contributions, and timing the sale.
    13. Live Q&A (2 min)

Hear From Past Attendees

“I came in skeptical. I left with a concrete roadmap and the math to brief our board.”

— Mark T., CFO, Manufacturing

“This clarified our exit plan and showed how we can reward employees at the same time."

— Susan D., Founder & CEO, B2B Services Firm

Your Presenter: Phil DeDominicis

Phil DeDominicis is an ESOP strategist and M&A advisor who has guided 300+ companies through ESOP formations, financing, and transactions over 20+ years at Menke & Associates. He specializes in selling ESOP‑owned businesses to financial or strategic buyers and in helping ESOP companies acquire other businesses.

Before Menke, Phil spent 14 years in investment banking M&A at Morgan Stanley and Salomon Smith Barney, advising middle‑market companies on change‑of‑control transactions. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware (1985) and an MBA in Finance & Accounting from UCLA Anderson (1989). Phil currently serves on six for‑profit and not‑for‑profit boards.

What Phil will cover:

    • Where ESOPs win in 2026 (tax, talent, and control)
    • Owner liquidity paths: minority, majority, and 100% sales
    • Financing options and what lenders look for
    • Valuation reality vs. third‑party sales
    • How to prep a board, trustee, and employees for a successful close

Reserve Your Spot Now

Seats are limited. Save yours now and receive the ESOP Feasibility Checklist.

10:00AM – 11:30AM PT
11:00AM – 12:30PM MT
12:00PM – 1:30PM CT
1:00PM – 2:30PM ET

    Wednesday, October 21st, 2026

RESERVE MY SPOT

No cost. Suitable for companies with $5M–$500M+ in revenue across construction, manufacturing, services, distribution, tech, and more.

FAQ (Quick Hits)

    • Do I lose control? No—most ESOPs preserve day‑to‑day control with your leadership team and board.

    • Is this only for certain industries? ESOPs work across sectors when cash flow is stable and leadership continuity matters.

    • Can we do a partial sale? Yes—stage liquidity over time while capturing tax benefits.

READY FOR AN ESOP NOW?

Interested in finding out how an ESOP could work for your company?

For a free preliminary analysis, just fill out our ESOP Feasibility Questionnaire.

FREE ANALYSIS

Related Articles

Man viewing employee stock ownership plan presentation on computer screen.

Upcoming Webinar: The ESOP Exit Strategy

July 29, 2026
Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how ESOPs can align your business goals with the needs of employees and stakeholders.
Read article
Airport concourse ceiling partly finished in wood and metal panels, representing a staged minority ESOP

From Direct Shares to a Minority ESOP: How ISEC Approached Ownership Succession

October 12, 2026
ISEC already had about 450 shareholders when it decided its ownership structure needed to change. Its CEO and CFO explain why they started with a minority ESOP, and why bridging the old plan and the new one has been the hardest part.
Read article
Partially completed timber frame on a stone foundation, representing a second stage ESOP transaction to full ownership

Second Stage ESOP Transactions: What Changes When the ESOP Goes to 100%

September 28, 2026
Your minority ESOP has worked. The debt is paid down and the culture has taken hold. Selling the rest of the company to the ESOP can look like a repeat of the first deal, but valuation, financing, and governance all change once the ESOP takes control.
Read article
Brass straightedge on slate, representing consistent ESOP valuation standards under new federal law

Congress Passes the Retire Through Ownership Act: What Clearer ESOP Valuation Rules Mean for Owners

September 17, 2026
For fifty years, the hardest question in employee ownership was not how to finance the deal or how to structure the tax benefits. It was what “adequate consideration” actually meant. Congress has now answered it — and the answer is narrower, and more useful, than the headlines suggest.
Read article
Unfinished steel-frame building with a focused beam of light, representing AEC marketing and ideal client focus

Why Growing AEC Firms Outgrow Relationship-Only Marketing

September 14, 2026
Most contractors say they win work on relationships, and most are right, up to a point. What happens when the people who hold those relationships retire, or when the firm tries to grow into a market where nobody knows its name?
Read article
Abstract suspended architectural span under cable tension, representing the long-term structure of a Section 1042 tax deferral

Section 1042: How the ESOP Tax Deferral Works, and What It Can Cost

August 31, 2026
A seller who elects Section 1042 on a $100 million ESOP transaction can defer roughly $33 million in capital gains tax, potentially for life. The same election, structured without care, can leave that seller carrying leverage on a securities portfolio for decades. The difference is in how the portfolio is built.
Read article
Abstract network of interconnected nodes representing ESOP employee ownership culture

Building an ESOP Ownership Culture That Actually Works

August 17, 2026
Two companies can have identical ESOP structures on paper and produce completely different results. The difference usually comes down to three specific things — and most companies get at least one of them wrong.
Read article