The Company We Keep

The Company we Keep is more than the success story of a company that has set down a framework for a model of employee ownership and community involvement that has caught the interest of entrepreneurs around the country. In the words of Abrams, iThis is a book about a different way of doing business in todayis worldoa way based on workplace democracy, shared ownership, staying small, building community, commitment to a place, and long-term thinking.i

John Abrams founded his design and building firm more than thirty years ago. Through a commitment to place and community entrepreneurship, he has seen the company grow and prosper, while at the same time experimenting with a revolutionary employee ownership model that has challenged the traditional business rhetoric of unchecked growth. Rejecting the myth that short-term profits are the only indicator of business health and wealth, John Abrams shows how building a company to serve the needs of people (employees and owners), community, and the environment can be a successful business plan as well.