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Perpetual Purpose Trust and Organically Grown Company: Rethinking Corporate Ownership for the Future
Tyson, Laura D'Andrea, Steen Thomsen, Robert Strand, Emily Pelissier, and Eva Gurfein Borge
Publication date: 7/1/2024, pages 1-14

Is steward ownership the solution for mission-driven businesses facing the trade-off between purpose and profits? Organically Grown Company (OGC), a pioneering organic produce distributor in Oregon, transitioned from a nonprofit to a grower-owned cooperative to an S-Corporation with an Employee Stock Option Plan, to a Benefit Corporation owned by a Perpetual Purpose Trust - becoming the first US company to adopt this model. Steward ownership allowed OCG to separate economic benefits from voting rights and support its founder’s dual commitment to shared representation and independence. A committee of stakeholders ensures OCG upholds its mission to distribute profits to investors and employees.
 


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