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Beyond the Exit: Friesens Corporation and Employee Ownership Successions in Manufacturing
OVERVIEW
In this session, CME is joined by Rewrite Capital Advisors (Canada’s leading EOT service provider) and Friesens Corporation (one of Canada’s oldest and most successful employee-owned companies), to provide both a real-world case study and a clear, practical explanation of how EOTs work in practice.
As most business owners approach transition, traditional exits such as private equity or strategic acquisition can create uncertainty for employees and long-term operations. Employee Ownership Trusts offer an alternative that allows founders to step back while keeping companies Canadian-owned, values-driven, and positioned for long-term success.
Whether you are a founder thinking about succession, a leader curious about employee ownership, or an organization exploring long-term stability and retention, this webinar will provide grounded insight into how EOTs function and whether they may be the right fit.
What we will cover
- Real Manufacturing Impact: Friesens Corporation’s Employee-Ownership journey and the measurable effects on the company, culture and economic impact
- The EOT Structure: How EOTs work, their structure, transaction mechanics, and governance simplified
- Benefits Across Stakeholders: How employees, sellers, and companies benefit from the EOT model
- Beyond EOTs: TallGrass Equity Fund impact investing approach to supporting employee-owned companies
Who should attend
- Manufacturing owners considering succession planning or partial exit strategies
- Senior executives evaluating alternatives to traditional M&A
- Management teams focused on workforce retention, loyalty to employees, and protecting company culture
- Professional advisors (accountants, lawyers, wealth managers, bankers, tax experts) supporting manufacturing transitions
- Any mid-sized company business owner interested in innovative approaches to business continuity and succession planning
Why attend
- Understand what an Employee Ownership Trust is, how it works and the key steps in an EOT transaction
- Learn how employee-ownership has shaped company culture, resilience, and long-term decision-making through Friesen’s Press’ journey to becoming employee-owned
- Learn how how governance operates in an EOT-owned company and how employees, sellers, and the company itself benefit from an EOT structure
- The economic and community impact of employee ownership in manufacturing
- Financing options through the Tallgrass Equity Fund’ model and how it supports employee-owned and values-aligned companies
- Debunk common misconceptions and considerations specific to manufacturing businesses
In Partnership With
Instructions to Join the Webinar
The webinar access Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one week prior to the event
Speaker
Tiara Letourneau
CEO, Rewrite Capital Advisors
Board Chair, Employee Ownership Canada
Tiara is the CEO of Rewrite Capital Advisors, an M&A advisory company specializing in Employee Ownership Trust transactions. She is also currently the Board Chair of Employee Ownership Canada, the industry body dedicated to expanding employee ownership nationally.
Tiara has extensive experience in impact finance, operational strategy and international development. She holds a Masters of Finance from Cambridge University. She previously worked for the United Nations Green Climate Fund and helped design its Private Sector Facility. She is now Canada’s foremost expert in Employee Ownership Trust implementation, designing employee ownership transformation strategies to help Canadians protect their businesses and employees.
Speaker
Chad Friesen
CEO, Friesens Corporation
President, Tallgrass Employee-Owner Equity Fund.
Chad Friesen is the CEO of Friesens Corporation, a 100% employee-owned company based in Altona, MB. The company serves book publishers, self-publishers and school yearbook programs across North America. Established in 1907, the company has been employee-owned since the 1950s. Today, Friesens employs nearly 600 employee-owners and serves over 3,000 customers, producing millions of books annually.
In addition to his role at Friesens, Chad is the President of the Tallgrass Employee-Owner Equity Fund, a social impact initiative aimed at helping medium-sized business owners transition to an Employee Ownership Trust. This ownership model preserves the legacy of the business within the community and/or region within which it was founded, ultimately making for a more resilient local economy. He is a dedicated advocate for employee ownership, serving on the board of Employee Ownership Canada. He is also on the boards of Friesens Corporation, Red River Mutual, and the Manitoba Business Council.