Summary
This teaching case study explores employee ownership at Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. Milestone has long seen its employees as crucial to achieving its ambitious vision of becoming the general contractor of choice for governments, consultants, and engineers in an increasingly in-demand field in Canada. Recently, grounded in a desire to ensure that growth is more equitable and responsible, the company has decided to share ownership with its employees. Its current approach entails sharing equity with a small number of employees using a dual-class share structure. However, as the company plans to expand this program to more employees, it is aware that it will have to think carefully about which employees are eligible, how these employees will be involved in the company’s governance, and how its ownership structure can encourage employees to contribute to the company’s sustainability agenda. The Canadian government’s new Employee Ownership Trust model offers an additional possibility for the company to consider. This teach case includes discussion questions.