S. 1612 – The ESOP Promotion and Improvement Act of 2009: On August 6, 2009, Senator Blanche L. Lincoln (D-AR) introduced S. 1612, the ESOP Promotion and Improvement Act of 2009. The legislation has four sections, including an entirely new proposal to remove a 35 year bias against ESOP companies by the Small Business Administration.…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Technomics, Inc. Benefits Employees with Stock Ownership Plan Arlington, VA – January 26, 2010 Rick Collins, President and CEO of Technomics, proudly informed employees on January 26, 2010 that the Company formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and, in doing so, has joined the growing list of companies whose employees are…
Dear Business Owner, Would you be interested in selling part or all of your stock in your company if you could sell it for more than twice what it is currently worth? Case Study I: The Benefits of a Gradual Sale to an ESOP We recently helped one of our clients do just that. Company X…
Dear Reader: As president of Menke & Associates, Inc., I believe there is significant untapped growth potential in most privately held companies. Whether you want to sell some or all of your stock in the company in the next five years or whether you plan to remain active for the long term, Menke & Associates,…
The First ESOP (1956) San Francisco lawyer and economist Louis O. Kelso created the first employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) in 1956 as a way to transition ownership of Peninsula Newspapers, Inc. from its two founders (both then in their 80s) to their chosen successors, the managers and employees. Kelso had long believed that the…
Capitalism collapsed in the fall of 2008. It’s collapse was also the direct result of a flaw in the system. Capitalism promised universal opportunity and a rising tide for everyone. To achieve this result, capitalism privatized and/or deregulated every possible industry. It glorified greed, extravagant executive compensation, and financial manipulation. Just as in the case…
Information in this booklet has been developed for those owners of privately-held businesses who are interested in liquefying some portion of the equity which has accumulated in their companies. We have assumed that many of our readers may be interested in accomplishing this objective without sacrificing the identity of their companies, jeopardizing the jobs of…
Economic Stimulation and Solutions for Creating New American Jobs and for Protecting Existing American Jobs By John D. Menke, Esq. Historical Background of the American Dream Since the very founding of the original thirteen colonies, America has always been known as the land of economic opportunity and as the most capitalistic country on the face…
Approximately 97 percent of our nation’s businesses are privately-held. In spite of this, charitable and tax-exempt organizations have not achieved particularly significant results in securing major gift income from owners of closely-held companies. The reasons for this apparent oversight may be understandable. Although small business owners may head enterprises worth substantial amounts of money, frequently,…
By John D. Menke Although the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) concept continues to enjoy bipartisan support in Congress, this support is still not deep. Current support for the tax incentives that are essential to the adoption of new ESOPs comes from only a handful of key members of the House and the Senate.Meanwhile, during…
