Innamorato, Rothman and others recognize and celebrate employee-owned businesses
Rep. Sara Innamorato October 26, 2022 | 4:09 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 26 – Today at the Capitol, Reps. Sara Innamorato, D-Allegheny, and Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland, marked October as Employee Ownership Month along with employee-owned business advocates and employee owners.
“The guiding principle for employee ownership is recognizing the unique value brought by every person who helps these ventures grow and prosper,” Innamorato said. “Each person brings a different set of knowledge and perspectives to the table and as a result, these employees feel more secure in their roles and are encouraged to do all they can to help their businesses and fellow workers thrive.”
Innamorato highlighted H.B. 2888, introduced with Rothman, which would establish the Office of Employee Ownership within the Department of Community and Economic Development to provide multiple forms of assistance to current and future employee-owned businesses.
“When people own something, they care about it more,” Rothman said. “They dig deeper roots. They want to see it succeed.”
Innamorato also announced that the cities of Harrisburg, York and Pittsburgh have been recognized as three of the top 25 cities in the nation for employee ownership by the organization Certified EO.
“Owners of businesses are nearing retirement age, and the majority of them don’t actually have succession plans,” Innamorato said. “Employee ownership can fill that gap, and they can be a way to keep businesses open, keep them local and provide economic security for employees and the communities that host them.”