Asheville Business Marketplace

This is the second in our series and the topic will be Employee Ownership Options for Succession Planning with Guest Speaker Luke Hoffman Director of Programs with the North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC), which is the event sponsor.

“Employee ownership is a succession planning tool that keeps businesses open and locally owned long-term, while providing employees with a powerful wealth-building tool: ownership in a thriving business. Research shows that employee-owned companies have increased employee recruitment and retention and perform better overall. This session will cover the 3 primary forms of employee ownership: Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Worker Cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).”

Join us to learn more about the process, meet potential buyers or sellers, and move forward with opportunities. Stay for non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers, and curated networking with fellow owners, prospective buyers, and the professionals who help deals get done. Whether you're months or years away from a transaction, the relationships you build in this room are the ones you'll lean on when it's time.

Who should attend:

• Business owners considering a future sale, succession, or transition
• Entrepreneurs and searchers actively looking to acquire a business
• Anyone curious about what their business is worth or what it takes to buy one

Future Events in the Series:

• September 24, 2026 Valuation Details and a Conversation with Both Sides of the Same Transaction
• November 12, 2026 Deal Structure/Financing Options

Sponsored by: 

North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC)

Mountain BizWorks, featuring the Business Buyer Accelerator program.