As business owners consider their next chapter, one of the most pivotal questions is: “How will I transition out of the business without compromising the culture and value I’ve built?” In this session, we’ll explore how a thoughtfully structured Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) offers a powerful path for succession planning—helping owners unlock value, reward key contributors, preserve legacy, and forge a sustainable future for their companies.

We are honored to have Gary Gray of Tenor ESOP Partners join us to lead the conversation—sharing his firsthand experience as a CEO of an ESOP Owned Construction Company and his current role as a partner leading the practice’s ESOP advisory service for Construction Companies nationwide.  We will dive into why ESOPs are increasingly attractive for Construction Companies. Gary's presentation will touch on the owner perspective and best practices for companies considering an ESOP for succession planning.

Speaker Info:

Gary Gray leads Tenor ESOP Partner’s Construction Practice. Prior to joining Tenor, he founded and led a national contracting business that successfully transitioned to an ESOP, founded ESOP Consulting Group, a Post Transaction ESOP Consulting Business and served as an officer in multiple trade organizations.  During his career as the CEO of an ESOP Contracting business, Gary achieved nearly 3x growth within five years following the transition to an ESOP and ultimately exited the business as the 2nd Largest Paint and Coatings Specialty Contractor in the United States according to ENR, October 2024. With years of experience consulting ESOP companies, Gary has helped shareholders create solutions customized to their business culture, aligned management with ownership goals, and designed sustainable Management Incentive Plans that drive growth benefiting employees and shareholders alike.  Gary serves on a number of ESOP Boards and is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).