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September 26, 2016

Rockland's Rock City makes jump to employee ownership

Courtesy / Flickr, Larry Miller The front counter at Rock City Café in downtown Rockland. The company is making the transition to becoming employee-owned.

After 24 years of being in business, the Rockland-based Rock City Coffee Roasters and Rock City Café will be joining the growing ranks of Maine’s employee-owned companies.

Susanne Ward, owner of the café and roastery, told the Bangor Daily News that the decision to become an employee-owned cooperative came as she began to plot what will happen to the company when she decides to retire.

“My crew, the average age is probably 35 years old. That’s a fabulous age for an entrepreneur. They all have energy. They’re all committed to Rockland. It’s a great, great time. They are the future,” Ward told the BDN. “And for me, I’ve been doing this so long. It’s easier for me to get stuck in a mindset. I try to stay very open now. And I try to treat them like they are co-owners. I want them to have that sense of ownership.”

Photo: Flickr/Larry Miller

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