Alternative ownership

We predicted that American investors would be looking to buy up Canadian businesses and assets, and that this would threaten our national security and economic sovereignty. Now Canada has to make a call on whether to kill Texas-based energy giant Sunoco's takeover of Parkland Corporation. In the Toronto Star, SCP CEO Matthew Mendelsohn and Chair Jon Shell ask: do we want to be owned by American billionaires, to work for them and have our wealth stripped away to pad bank accounts in New York and Dallas? If we really want Canada to remain ours, they argue, then we need to think and act like it.

While Canada’s policymakers try to figure out how to make the Canadian economy less vulnerable to Trump’s whims, many Canadian businesses are going to look like a good deal for American investors. A weak Canadian dollar, low interest rates and expected liquidity challenges create the conditions for an acceleration of private equity-led buyouts of Canadian firms. In ImpactAlpha, SCP's CEO Matthew Mendelsohn explains how, as Canada faces Trump’s mercurial and predatory approach to trade and economic policy, employee ownership can offer much-needed stability and resilience.

With Canada’s sovereignty at stake, we must invest in every approach to keeping Canadian businesses in Canadian hands. If we match the U.K.'s success in incentivizing employee-ownership conversion, we would see 300 Canadian companies sold to their workers each year. SCP Chair Jon Shell and Employee Ownership Canada CEO Michael Ras explain how very few policies promise as powerful an outcome.

SCP Chair Jon Shell sits down with Andy Farquharson on The Alternative Exit Podcast to explore the transformative potential of employee ownership. Jon recounts how he advocated for Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) in Canada to address wealth inequality and business succession. He talks advantages of EOTs, from preserving a company’s legacy to fostering economic resilience in the workforce and reshaping both business culture and wealth distribution.

Crowe Soberman Audit and Advisory Partner Chandor Gauthier sits down with Jon Shell, Chair of Social Capital Partners and Board Member at Employee Ownership Canada. They dive into the benefits of Employee Ownership Trusts and get into the nitty gritty of how EOTs can support smooth business succession, boost equity and retention and safeguard business legacies.

Is alternative ownership the future of business in Canada? Shane Gibson from Future of Good reports on how converting to a non-profit, establishing an Employee Ownership Trust, or becoming a co-operative can help a small business become more sustainable, ensure job security and retain wealth within the community.

SCP Chair Jon Shell in the Toronto Sun on what Employee Ownership Trusts mean for business owners, the community and the broader economy

When outside interests take over a small or medium business, it's often purchased then closed, leaving holes in the community. Future of Good reports on how new laws could encourage more retiring business owners to sell to their employees through Employee Ownership Trusts. EOTs help businesses stay local and contribute to employee retention and financial wealth.

A helpful summary of Employee Ownership Trusts that gives Canadian business owners and their advisors a simple (albeit not short) explanation about what they are, and why they should care.

Bringing EOTs to Canada has been a labour of love for a lot of people over the last few years. We’re deeply grateful to the government for establishing the policies we need for employee ownership to flourish here. Now that it’s real we can’t wait to see the community pick the idea up and run with it.