Employee Ownership Office

Palmer Flowers, a business staple in Fort Collins and beyond, was founded in 1976 by Spiro Palmer. In its more than four decade history, the company has grown to be a leader in the state not only in floral design and decor, but also in employee ownership. 

At the heart of the business were the employees and Palmer believed in taking care of these good people. He had the idea, when it came time to consider succession planning, to bring those same loyal employees into the ownership of the company. 

The Main Street Phoenix Project is a unique cooperative started in March 2020 aimed at rebuilding a more sustainable economy post-COVID. The project was founded by Employee Ownership Commissioner and employee ownership advocate Jason Wiener. 

DENVER -- Governor Polis will join a virtual Opportunity Zone investment event on Thursday, January 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to explore how Opportunity Zones can be investment catalysts for Colorado’s early childhood education needs. 

DENVER - The Colorado Employee Ownership Office (EOO) at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) is launching a new grant that is open to Colorado-headquartered small businesses to reimburse professional technical services required for the employee ownership transition. 

DENVER- The Colorado Employee Ownership Office (EOO) at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announces the new chair and vice chair of the Employee Ownership Commission, and welcomes Governor appointees Yessica Xytlalli Holguin, Whitney Johnson and Chuong M. Le as commission members.

A recent report published by the Employee Ownership Foundation shows that employee-owned companies have outperformed non-employee-owned counterparts throughout the pandemic. While the pandemic introduced new economic challenges, majority employee-owned companies have shown incredible resilience and ability to maintain stability. 

In honor of employee ownership month, we are celebrating stories of employee-owned companies in Colorado. Merrick & Company is an employee-owned engineering, architecture, surveying, and geospatial firm, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

DENVER – The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced yesterday, in celebration of Employee Ownership Month, the establishment of a permanent Employee Ownership Office (EOO) and the launch of several new initiatives.