Community Interest
Get to know Tandem Center for Shared Business Success
This nonprofit empowers businesses and employees through employee ownership.
When Chip Cargas—founder of the Lancaster-based software company Cargas—transitioned to semi-retirement, he began to think about what was next for him. Inspired by the culture built at Cargas through profit sharing and direct employee ownership, Chip began to dream of a way to help other companies use employee ownership to create more shared success.
The result of that dream is Tandem Center for Shared Business Success, a recently launched nonprofit whose objective is to empower business owners with the advantages of these programs—which include recruiting and motivating employees, improved business performance, and incremental transition of ownership to the next generations.
“I love how it works for all generations,” Chip shared. “At Cargas, we have the second generation of employee owners selling stock as they approach retirement, just as I did. And the third generation is now starting down that same path.”
Tandem’s efforts are guided by Chip’s vision and led by Executive Director Drew Mousetis, who is especially passionate about employee ownership, which he cites as a transformative force in his life and career.
“My Lancaster journey began as a client of The GateHouse, a nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment organization, where I got back on my feet and found purpose in helping others,” Drew shared. “While pursuing my MBA, I studied the culture around employee ownership, specifically at Cargas, and after joining their team and becoming an employee-owner, I found a deeper purpose to my work.”
Supported by Chip and Tandem’s other Board members, Drew is eager to walk alongside businesses at any stage and of any size, as they build an ownership mindset into the culture for the benefit of the business, employees, and the community.
“I see Tandem becoming the leading expert in the Direct Employee Ownership model in the United States, and I envision Lancaster County, which is already a special place, becoming renowned for its employee-owned businesses,” Drew said.
Business owners who are interested in exploring their pathways to shared success and employee-owned businesses looking to network should reach out to Drew directly at dmousetis@tandemcenter.org.
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