Hiring and keeping high-quality employees is the #1 ingredient to long-term success in the construction industry. Putting together a long-lasting and successful ESOP may be a competitive advantage in recruiting, hiring, and retaining top talent.

Advance your ESOP knowledge at our May 20, 2025 webinar, “ESOPs 201 – Blueprint for a Successful ESOP.” Join ESOP experts Bob Massengill of Pilot Hill Advisors and Mary Beth Gray of Kleinbard – facilitated by Wayne Rivers of Performance Construction Advisors - to take your understanding of how ESOPs work to the next level.

This program will discuss the difference between “bank debt” and “ESOP debt” as well as the potential impact on surety capacity from additional leverage.  Another important topic will be the tax differences for sellers between S and C corporation ESOPs.  Lastly, we will offer observations on the importance of planning around the post-transaction impact on pre-qualification and licensing.

The program will also address the most common misperceptions about ESOPs and allow for questions from contractors, underwriters, and agents interested in learning more. Please click on the link below to register for this important ESOP education experience.

Bob Massengill will be joining Alex Moss and Mary Beth Gray at this year’s National ESOP Association Conference in Washington, DC for an interactive mock board meeting of an ESOP company.

During our session, “Mock Board Meeting: Recognizing & Managing Conflicts”, we will present the details of an imaginary company created for purposes of this discussion. We act out the board / committee discussion in real time, starting with the circumstances of our imaginary company and adding flavor from the real Board experiences of the panelists. We break several times mid-stream to invite audience questions and discussion of their experience and perspectives then return to the “meeting” to continue real-time discussion.

Learning Objectives: 

• Recognize what conflicts are, how they may show up in the governance context.

• Formulate sensible responses by the Board, once conflicts have been identified.

• Demonstrate how the Board may act to mitigate conflicts and/or remove conflicted parties.

Pilot Hill Advisors is pleased to be hosting its 22nd online seminar for the American Counsel of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

This program, “Exit Strategies Using ESOPs and Internal Buyouts” is designed for professional service firms and will discuss a framework for considering the alternative strategies for transitioning privately-held stock focusing on the use of Employee Stock Ownership Plans and management buy-ins..

This webinar will discuss direct vs. beneficial ownership, governance, valuation requirements, financing sources, unique tax benefits and typical plan rules.  Using case studies, it will also describe the different strategies used by A/E firms using ESOPs. 

The program will also discuss how other equity plans are used in combination with ESOPs. 

Those attending will come to appreciate the flexibility of using ESOPs as well as its compatibility with other equity ownership structures. We will also address the unique tax advantages that come with ESOP transactions.

Click here to review the program and register.  This program is not limited to members of the ACEC so all are welcome.

Join Bob Massengill, Lee Bloom, Alex Moss and Cindy Turcot as they navigate a Mock Board Meeting at this year’s National ESOP Conference in Washington, DC.

This real-time mock Board Meeting focuses on the boundaries of Board authority, looking up to the Trustee level and down to the executive team. Which decisions are up to the Board, and how the board exercises appropriate influence. When and how should the Board consider changing ESOP Trustees and executive leadership, and how the Board’s role differs from the CEO. To what extent are these decisions guided by corporate bylaws, the ESOP Plan Document, and related governing docs.

Come join Pilot Hill Advisors’ Bob Massengill and Lowenstein Sandler’s Andy Graw to talk about ownership succession and ESOPs.

This presentation will talk about how an ESOP may be used by an owner of a closely-held business to create liquidity in a tax efficient, confidential, and controlled manner. 

It will also discuss how an ESOP can be used in estate planning, and to transition ownership to management and/or children. 

The program is scheduled for May 10th and will be held at the offices of Lowenstein Sandler in Roseland, NJ.

Click here to fill out registration form for this free program.

Pilot Hill Advisors is pleased to be hosting its 21st online seminar for the American Counsel of Engineering Companies (ACEC). This program, “Exit Strategies Using ESOPs” is designed for professional firms of all types and will discuss a framework for considering the alternative strategies for transitioning privately-held stock focusing on the use of Employee Stock Ownership Plans.

Those attending this program will come away understanding:

• ESOP Basics

• ESOP Transaction Alternatives and Combinations

• Valuation requirements and current multiples

• Capital sources for ESOP transactions

• Steps for evaluating and implementing an ESOP

Click on this link to connect to the ACEC education page on its website.

I encourage all those interested in learning more about the versatility and tax efficiency of using an ESOP to attend.

Please join our own Jim Higgins, Patrice Radogna and Mike Flesch to hear the latest market conditions for ESOP transactions at this year’s NCEO Annual Employee Ownership Conference.

Today’s market conditions continue to display unprecedented swings and have created one of the most challenging environments to determine the valuation of privately held companies in recent history. Our session will include an interactive discussion and a deeper dive into the cause and effect of these factors. In addition, we will discuss the impact of these changing factors on the fair market value range of a company, which is essential in getting a new ESOP transaction completed (due to disconnects in expected purchase price versus fair market value) as well as the fair market value for ongoing valuations.

Times listed are Central Daylight hours.

Bob Massengill has been invited to lead another ESOP webinar for the ACEC entitled, “Engineering Firms & ESOPs - Perfect Together.”

This program will discuss ESOP transactions, ownership structures, governance and control of ESOP companies, tax efficiencies, and how ESOPs are used alone and in combination with other techniques for internal ownership transition plans.  The primary areas of discussion will include the motivations for using an ESOP, typical transition structures, and valuation insights. 

 ·        What is an ESOP and how does it work?

·        Governance and Leadership in ESOP companies

·        Transaction examples

·        Benefits to sellers and employees

·        Valuation basics and requirements

·        Financing for ESOP transactions

·        State licensing requirements

Mr. Massengill will also provide commentary on valuation multiple ranges and current financing conditions, and discuss how to evaluate the ESOP in the context of a company’s overall retirement plan package for employees.

 Participants will gain a fundamental understanding of ESOPs and ESOP transactions, as well as the various tax advantages used today by many A/E firms across the country.They will also see how ESOPs can be used in combination with other ownership transition strategies to accomplish a variety of goals, simultaneously.

To learn more and register for this program, click here for the ACEC website.

Join us on Tuesday, September 21st  for an in depth discussion about Employee Stock Ownership Plans and ownership transition. 

ESOPs have been used by the owners of A|E firms for over forty years as both a partial buyout technique as well as a total buyout strategy. They have also been used in combination with other transition strategies. 

This program will discuss the myths, misconceptions and realities of using an ESOP as a buyer of stock.

Topics to be covered include ESOP Fundamentals such as ownership structure, governance, valuation and common transaction structures.  We will also discuss the between traditional M&A transactions and ESOPs so participants and assess best fit for them. Finally, we will discuss topics of particular to the A|E world.

Participants will gain a practical understanding of ESOP fundamentals and develop a better understanding whether and how an ESOP can play a part of their firm’s ownership transition strategy.

This program is being hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies and anyone is welcome to attend.  To learn more about the program and register, click here.