The Ninth Annual Vermont Employee Ownership Conference will take place on June 10, 2011, at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. The full-day conference will feature 19 workshops from introductory sessions for those exploring the idea of employee ownership to technical sessions designed for those in established employee-owned companies. Sessions include:   ·         An introduction to employee ownership·         Leadership in Employee-Owned Companies·         Forming a worker cooperative: Start-Ups and Conversions·          Avoiding ESOP Problems and Pitfalls·         Basics of business valuation·         Healthcare, Wellness and Safety in Employee-Owned CompaniesThe conference is designed for business owners and employees interested in bringing employee ownership to their companies; members of existing employee-owned businesses; economic development professionals; bankers, accountants, attorneys and financial planners; and anyone interested in employee participation or sustainable business models.This year’s opening plenary will feature the stories of some of the latest companies in Vermont to choose employee ownership, including Vermont Aerospace, a manufacturing business based in Lyndonville that recently become 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, and PT360, a new physical therapy practice that is organized as a worker cooperative. We’ll hear what led company leaders to choose employee ownership, and what differences they expect it to make to their way of doing business. The event brings together some of the most sought-after expert professional advisors and consultants from around the country. It also draws dozens of representatives from Vermont’s employee-owned companies. Attendees will learn how those companies made the transition to employee ownership and navigated the challenges along the way.Full conference details and online registration are available at www.veoc.org(link is external). For more information, call 802-861-6611 or email info@veoc.org(link sends e-mail).  About the VEOCThe Vermont Employee Ownership Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and fostering employee ownership. The Center’s goals are to broaden capital ownership, deepen employee participation, retain local ownership of businesses and the jobs they support, increase living standards for working families, and stabilize communities. VEOC works directly with owners interested in selling their business to their employees, employee groups interested in purchasing a business, and entrepreneurs who wish to start a company with broadly-shared ownership. For more information, visit www.veoc.org(link is external).