Gov. Polis Signs Executive Order Supporting Employee Ownership, Establishing Commission
DENVER - Gov. Polis today signed an executive order establishing the Commission on Employee Ownership. The Governor signed the executive order at the Save-A-Lot in Colorado Springs where he launched his campaign and promised to support employee ownership.
“Increasing employee ownership will help support a strong economy and promote job security in communities across the state,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Supporting employee ownership has been a top goal and now we are taking the necessary steps to make it a reality.”
In Colorado, 98 percent of all Colorado companies are small businesses. And these 560,000 small businesses employ over one million people, making small business one of the state’s top employers. Small businesses also diversify our economy with 85,800 minority-owned firms in Colorado.
As a record number of Colorado business owners reach retirement age, increasing employee-owned businesses across the State will ensure that local business will continue to offer necessary goods and services to communities beyond a business owner’s retirement.
The Commission will support the development and advancement of employee-owned businesses by:
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Establishing a robust and wide-reaching network of technical support for businesses wishing to convert to employee-ownership;
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Educating businesses and communities across the State on the economic and community benefits of employee-owned businesses; and
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Identifying barriers to the development and advancement of employee-owned businesses and recommending State actions and resources to remove such barriers.
The Commission will be housed in the Office of Economic Development and International Trade.