Why employee ownership matters
King Arthur has been 100% employee owned since 2004, when longtime owners Frank and Brinna Sands sold King Arthur to the employees, believing those who work in a company should be its natural stewards. They entrusted the company’s future to the people doing the work, and that profound act of trust continues to shape our culture today.
So what does this mean? After a year on the job, workers begin to earn stock in the company; this nest egg helps employee-owners secure a better retirement, and crucially, it gives them a clear interest in the company's success. But beyond just a financial benefit, employee ownership creates a sense of responsibility, care, and stewardship for the company and its future. Employee ownership is one of the values that guide us as we make every decision at King Arthur, alongside a dedication to quality, passion, community, and stewardship. It gives each of us a personal stake in the company's future and a shared responsibility for its results. When King Arthur succeeds, we all succeed, and that sense of ownership influences everything from how we serve our customers to how we support one another every day.
Because everyone has a stake in it, we know we're working not just for the company but for ourselves. As a result, employee-owners across the company feel like they can speak up and ask questions and offer advice. Meanwhile, transparency and open communication from leadership is a core tenet. Our leadership team isn't just talking to its employees — they’re speaking with fellow owners.
As employee-owners, we're committed to thinking for the long term. We want King Arthur to be successful decades from now, and we believe that means balancing strong business performance with care for our people, our communities, and the future of baking. That's also why employee ownership is only part of our story. King Arthur became a Certified B Corp in 2007, and a Vermont Benefit Corporation in 2012. Those commitments help ensure we consider the impact of our decisions on all of our stakeholders, including employee-owners, customers, communities, and the environment, while continuing to build a strong and enduring company. That means we also emphasize our social and environmental responsibility, and the wellbeing and satisfaction of our employee-owners. We invest in sustainability, support community groups nationwide, and offer every employee 40 hours of paid volunteering time per year.
Beyond that, employee ownership creates a different mentality and a different incentive for the people who work here: People feel more empowered to shape their future at King Arthur — to be a part of something that is considering them, their well-being, and their career. This also means that employee ownership shapes how King Arthur shows up for our customers. Whether it's someone in a retail store, on the Baker's Hotline, or at the Baking School, customers interact with people who think and act like owners: people who care deeply about our customers, take pride in their work, and share responsibility for King Arthur’s future.
We believe wholeheartedly in the value of employee ownership to create happy workers, a strong business, and long-term success, and as a result, we’re active in the nationwide employee-ownership community. That includes membership in the ESOP Association, a group that acts as a resource for employee-owned companies, works with lawmakers to explain the impact these businesses can have, and encourages other companies to join the movement.
We're an employee-owned company, and also a community of bakers. Meet the owners of King Arthur Baking through some of our favorite baking products.
