Gardener's Supply: Proudly Employee-Owned

Gardener's Supply Company is 100% employee-owned. We all earn stock and share in company profits through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). We're honored to be recognized as the 2018 ESOP company of the year!

Founder Will Raap serves pie to customers at our annual celebration of employee ownership.

"Gardener's Supply is a prime example of an ESOP company that actively engages its employee owners, the employee ownership community, and elected officials at the state and federal levels," said ESOP Association President J. Michael Keeling. "Its commitment to sharing with others the power of ESOPs is an example all ESOP companies can proudly seek to replicate."

We are guided by the belief that, as owners, we:

• share a commitment to our customers
• sustain a vibrant focus on gardening
• cultivate a compassionate culture that creates an engaged workforce
• support a strong social mission, both locally and nationwide

We engage employee-owners and solicit input via a variety of creative vehicles, such as:

• Brownie For Your Thoughts. Every year, we're each personally invited to offer ideas, questions, and concerns — in return for a fresh-baked brownie.
• Solstice Celebration. The anniversary of our transition to 100% ownership falls on the winter solstice. Employees gather to share our ownership story and the connection to the solstice. Our retail stores serve pie to our local customers, symbolically sharing a "piece of the pie."
• Town Hall Meetings. Employee-owners join our president in small groups to discuss any aspect of our business.

Through employee ownership we remain passionately committed to our founding vision — to spread the joys and rewards of gardening, because gardening nourishes the body, elevates the spirit, builds community and makes the world a better place.

To learn more about employee stock ownership programs, go to the ESOP Association.