Sharon Township, one of the quieter spots in bustling northeast Ohio and a locale known for its rural beauty, is the reputed "Employee Ownership Capital of the Nation" and attracting interest from faraway places. Over 20% of Sharon Township’s non-farm businesses have established employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) for their employees. The township reputedly has the highest percentage of employee-owned corporations of any community in Ohio or the U.S.. Among its 13 non-farm businesses, the township is home to three employee-owned businesses: Power Transmission Technology, Sharon Manufacturing, and The Ruhlin Construction Company.

The township has gained worldwide attention since last fall when Swedish newspaper editor Per Aahlstrom spent the day meeting with representatives from these firms and collected data for a forthcoming book on employee ownership to be published by the Swedish trade union federation.

As Sharon Township Trustee Emil Bolas said in welcoming the Swedish visitor, "employee-owned companies are unique. As the anchor tenants in our township’s two industrial parks, they are an asset to this community in terms of employment, economics, aesthetics, and community support."

Though the township remains predominately a farming community, its three employee-owned businesses employ over 100 employee owners, including 27 at Power Transmission Technology, 20 at Sharon Manufacturing, and 60 at The Ruhlin Construction Company.

Sharon Manufacturing, 100% employee-owned since 1986, was founded in 1970 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Ruhlin Construction. Sharon produces custom, close tolerance fabrications and assemblies for the capital equipment market. The ESOP provided a mechanism to purchase shares of stock from the parent corporation as part of a strategy for corporate restructuring as the family founders of Ruhlin retired. A profit sharing philosophy again played an important role in the decision to finance the purchase through the ESOP. Jerry Kostelny, Sharon’s president, had been asked by the Ruhlins if he would consider either buying the company himself or the possibility of an ESOP. As he put it, "I could envision what the future would be like as the owner of this business. How could I not pass along and share that same opportunity with the employees that was offered to me?"

Power Transmission Technology, or PT Tech, was founded in 1978 as a specialty engineering company that develops torque limiters, braking, and transmission components for heavy equipment in the mining, steel, and construction industries. Employee ownership was established later as part of a strategy of planned growth. The ESOP provides a mechanism for buying out the company’s original investors as they retire, keeping ownership in the hands of the employees.

During a company tour, Manufacturing Manager Tom Richards, described the company’s culture, "We promote open discussion and input by all employees. I rely heavily on the people I work with to make intelligent decisions." Each employee participates in the Excellence by Objective program which involves goal-setting and quarterly feedback on individualized continuous improvement plans.

Trustee Bolas commended PT Tech for spearheading the transformation of a run-down farm property in the township into a first-class corporate park when the firm decided to move their small but expanding business into Sharon Township. Today the industrial park attracts other business tenants. When Sharon Township incorporated in 1931, farming was a way of life. Just as Americans moved from the family farm to the factory, now many types of businesses, and the communities that support them, are looking at yet another transition in their individual and local economies, a transition to employee-ownership of the businesses where they work. "Employee stock ownership gives people an incentive," added Bolas.