Third Thursday Business Builder, April 2023

Employee Ownership

What's the deal with Employee Ownership? Small businesses are the life line of our economy, but what happens to them when the business owners get ready to retire and/or sell their business? Transitioning into an Employee Ownership keeps the owner's legacy alive, keeps jobs local, builds community wealth and allows the workers a way to voice their opinions. At the Chamber's April Third Thursday Business Builder, David Beckum, President and CEO of Augusta Industrial Services, and Marie Davis of GACEO will discuss Employee Ownership and the benefits they provide to the business, community and their employees.

David Beckum began working with Augusta Industrial Services in 1988 after graduating from Augusta State University. David started "on the end of the hose" learning the business from the ground up. Within the first year he became proficient with many of the aspects of working in industrial facilities and municipalities. David then transitioned into the Nuclear division of Augusta Industrial Services and began working Nuclear refueling outages within the Southern Nuclear organization as well as working on projects at the Savannah River Site. David was promoted into the Safety department of AIS and worked his way up to the Safety Manager position. Using his field experience and safety knowledge he began Sales and Project Management. In 2003, as Augusta Industrial was going through a transition and relocating to a new location, David became the Operations Manager responsible for managing the fleet and field operations. Between 2012 and 2014, David, along with two original owners of AIS worked to develop a business succession plan and formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). David became Vice President and was appointed to the Board of Directors.  Since the formation of the ESOP, David has been working closely with the CFO, Director of Operations, Safety Manger and Sales Manager developing business strategy, the AIS “We Own It!” culture, regional growth, and product development. He is currently in the role of President and CEO and serves on the Board of Directors with the retiring owners.

David serves on multiple committees in the community, including:

• Board of Directors for Water Jet Technology Association (WJTA)
• High-Pressure Safety and Training Committees for WJTA
• Government Affairs Committee for Columbia County Chamber of Commerce

Marie Davis - In her role as the Launch Manager for the Georgia Center for Employee Ownership (GACEO), Marie Davis is responsible for establishing the network of partners and delivery of programming necessary for the GACEO to carry out its mission of the creation of new employee-owned companies throughout all of Georgia by providing unbiased education, outreach, and technical assistance on all forms of employee ownership. In addition to her passion for employee ownership, Marie is also passionate about providing opportunities for all children through mentoring programs. Using her degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia, Marie has spent many years in different roles in the mentoring filed including the Director of Mentoring for Center Point, a non-profit in Hall County Georgia and a Technical Assistant for mentoring.org, the National MENTOR program. Marie is a lifelong Georgia native – Go Dawgs!