A New Chapter for a Family Business: ESOP Success at Work Opportunities Unlimited

For Mary, a second-generation owner of Work Opportunities Unlimited, maintaining the culture and integrity of her family-run business was non-negotiable. “We are a family business,” she explained. “Some of us have worked together for 35 years. The thought of selling was just terrible. I didn’t want to sell to a company that was going to come in and change the culture or strip the company of its parts.”

Faced with succession planning decisions, Mary began exploring alternatives to a traditional sale. The idea of transitioning to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) stood out—not only as a means of preserving the company’s legacy, but also as a way to honor the commitment of the long-serving team that helped build the business.

Mary and her leadership team turned to Bellview Associates for guidance. “They had a terrific way of painting the picture of how an ESOP works and how it benefits both owners and employee-owners from a very high-level, global perspective,” she noted.

Throughout the process, Bellview Associates provided steady guidance and clear communication. “Having a team that could walk us through each step and frame it in terms of both people and outcomes made all the difference,” Mary said.

Now in their third year as an ESOP, Work Opportunities Unlimited is beginning to see the benefits resonate across their organization of over 300 employees in eight states. “The more tangible it gets, the better,” Mary explained. “Now that our team can see their shares and understand what’s in it for them, it’s starting to click.”
While the company had already begun expanding into new regions prior to the ESOP, Mary sees potential for even greater growth. “It’s still early days but we know it is helping us grow faster.”

For Mary, the most important outcome is clear: “I hope this allows the company to remain intact, to continue to grow, and to be successful with the employee-owners and all the people we serve.”