CSHQA has become a member of Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO), the leading certification program for employee-owned companies in America.
“We have been connected since day one, during conferences and along our early journey, and Certified EO are inspiring,” says Patty Norberg, AIA, Architect Principal at CSHQA. “We joined as they have a lot of great tools to help us on our education journey toward business literacy for all employee owners and aspiring owners to be.”
Employee-Owned Certification Standards
The certification process for membership to Certified EO is rigorous; fewer than 1 in 200 American companies are eligible to join. Companies must demonstrate that their employees own at least 30% of the business (exclusive of company founders), that access to ownership is open to every employee, and that the concentration of ownership is limited.
CSHQA is 100% Employee Owned
There exists a variety of employee ownership options, and among them, employee ownership of a company can be anywhere from a small percentage up to 100%. CSHQA is proud to be owned entirely by its employees, and the firm is passionate about What Employee Ownership Means to them. “While we at CSHQA are excellent at working IN the business, we look forward to the education series of working ON the business,” Norberg says. “Bottom line, it means more investment opportunity for everyone, in an arena we have more control over our business.”
Building Community
“We’re excited to have CSHQA as our newest member,” said Thomas Dudley, CEO and Co-founder of Certified EO. “We’re very aligned on values and recognize that employee ownership is good for workers, good for business, and good for communities. As an employee-owned company, CSHQA is a pillar of their community and at the forefront of creating an economy that works for everyone.”
About CSHQA
CSHQA became employee-owned in 2018, operating under the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) model. The oldest architecture firm in the state of Idaho, CSHQA currently employs nearly 100 professionals across offices in Boise, Idaho; Denver, Colorado; and Sacramento, California. The award-winning firm provides architecture, engineering, and interior design services throughout the United States.
About Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO)
Certified EO exists to create an employee-owned economy. Their certification program is combining the reach of employee-owned companies to create national recognition for this new approach to business. Certified EO works directly with members to help them make their employee ownership more visible to their workers, their clients, and their communities. Certified EO was founded in 2017 by Thomas Dudley and Kramer Sharp. The current membership includes over 175 companies and more than 120,000 employee-owners. To learn more about Certified EO, please visit www.certifiedeo.com.