Coming Soon
Rural Advisory Group
Powered by MOCEO and the Patterson Family Foundation
Building a regional network of advisors and technical assistance that turns retiring rural businesses into employee-owned companies.
Rural Missouri's Succession Gap
Why the next decade of owner retirements decides whether rural jobs stay local.
56,000
Missouri businesses
with owners age 55+
A generation of owners is approaching
retirement at once.
Only 32%
Have a documented exit
or succession plan
Two-thirds of owners have no
documented plan for what comes next.
1 in 3
Sellers actually find a buyer
Even owners who try to sell
often run out of time.
2 in 3
Close the doors instead
The business, and everything
it supports, disappears.
When a business closes, the community loses jobs, essential local services, and tax revenue.
Program Description
Made possible through a grant from the Patterson Family Foundation.
The Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO) is leading an 18-month initiative to make employee ownership a more practical succession option for rural Missouri businesses.
As owners approach retirement, many rural communities face a “Silver Tsunami” of businesses without a clear successor.
Employee ownership offers a way to keep businesses locally rooted while preserving jobs, ownership, and community wealth.
MOCEO will bring together business advisors, financial professionals, and community partners to build awareness, provide education and training, connect business owners with qualified resources, and create a clear pathway to employee ownership.
The initiative will also document lessons learned and develop a practical playbook to help communities across Missouri and beyond expand employee ownership.
18-Month Roadmap
7 phases over 18+ months, from regional research to a sustained, scalable model.
What We'll Deliver
Months 1–9: Establish the regional advisory group, the plan, and the advisor network.
Months 9–18 and beyond: Reach business owners, move them through conversion, and scale the model.
PHASE 1
Research and Discovery
Months 1-3
✓ Create a Regional Employee Ownership (EO) Advisory Group of key stakeholders
✓ Identify regional needs, resources, and barriers
✓ Conduct a kickoff Regional Advisory Group workshop
PHASE 2
Preparations
Months 3-6
✓ Create a strategic project plan and advisor training program
✓ Create a business owner outreach and education program
✓ Map intake, referral, and conversion pathways
✓ Identify priority local businesses for outreach
✓ Launch pre-knowledge survey to public
PHASE 3
Advisor Training and Relationships
Months 6-9
✓ Build a network of EO-informed advisors (bankers, lawyers, CPAs, and business support organizations)
✓ Build a connected network of EO technical assistance providers (TA) to support EO conversions
✓ Host an Ambassador Training event to connect local advisors and TA providers
PHASE 4
Launch Outreach and Education
Months 9-12
✓ Launch outreach and education activities for business owners
✓ Conduct outreach to [#] Legacy Business Owners
✓ Host [#] EO education workshops with local partners
PHASE 5
Conversion Pipeline
Months 12-15
✓ Begin moving qualified prospects through the conversion pipeline
✓ Conduct [#] one-on-one intake meetings
✓ Refer owners to EO technical assistance providers for consulting and readiness assessment
✓ Launch post-knowledge survey
PHASE 6
Evaluation and Kansas Pilot
Months 15-18
✓ Summarize results and evaluate the project
✓ Publish a Playbook of findings to replicate the model
✓ Identify pilot counties and launch the Kansas pilot and TA providers
PHASE 7
Expansion and Sustainability
Months 18+
✓ Complete 2 EO conversions in Missouri, or have them in process
✓ Expand implementation across Kansas
✓ Determine a pathway to a Kansas Center for Employee Ownership
About the Initiative
Our mission: To keep good jobs, local businesses, and wealth rooted in rural Missouri by helping retiring owners transition their companies to the employees who built them.
• Over 18 months, the initiative will build rural Missouri's employee ownership ecosystem by:
• Convening a Regional EO Advisory Group and mapping regional needs, resources, and barriers;
• Training local advisors (bankers, lawyers, CPAs) and technical assistance providers;
• Educating legacy business owners through outreach and workshops with local partners;
•Moving qualified owners through the conversion pipeline and publishing a playbook to
Rural Advisory Group Coming Soon
Launching in December 2026
Powered by MOCEO and the Patterson Family Foundation
Building a regional network of advisors and technical assistance
that turns retiring rural businesses into employee-owned companies.
Rural Launch Initiative Luncheon
December 10th, 2026
10:00am to 2:00pm
North Central Missouri College
BTC Bank Meeting Room
1205 Main Street, Trenton, MO 64683
Have any questions? We can help!
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