Rewrite Capital Advisors Acquires ESOP Builders, Becoming Canada's Most Comprehensive Employee Ownership Advisory Practice

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rewrite Capital Advisors today announced the asset acquisition of ESOP Builders Inc. The transaction marks a pivotal expansion for Rewrite Capital Advisors, from a firm exclusively focused on Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) to one that now advises on the full spectrum of employee ownership structures available to Canadian business owners. Combined with ESOP Builders' 30 years of Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) design and implementation expertise, Rewrite Capital Advisors becomes Canada's most comprehensive employee ownership advisory practice.

"Until now, Rewrite Capital Advisors' work has been focused on EOTs, and we've been proud to lead that space in Canada," said Tiara Letourneau, CEO. "But employee ownership is bigger than any single structure. There are business owners for whom an ESOP, a phantom stock plan, or a phased hybrid approach is the right answer, and they deserve the same quality of partnership that Rewrite provides. Acquiring ESOP Builders means we can now meet every owner where they are, with the right tool for their situation."

Canada is in the midst of the largest business succession wave in its history: three out of four small and medium-sized businesses will change hands over the next decade, representing an estimated $1.5 trillion in business assets. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, 25% of mergers and acquisitions involving Canadian target companies were completed by foreign buyers. For every Canadian business that sells to a private equity firm or a foreign acquirer, Canadian jobs, communities, and economic sovereignty are put at risk. Employee ownership is one of the most powerful tools available to counter that trend and this acquisition ensures that more Canadian business owners will have access to it.

"When I founded ESOP Builders, I wanted to prove that employee ownership could work for Canadian businesses of every size and in every industry. Employees deserve to share in the wealth they help create," said Perry Phillips, Founder of ESOP Builders. "Rewrite Capital Advisors has done something I'm genuinely proud to be part of: they didn't just enter this space, they changed it. They helped pass the law, built the framework, and are now closing the deals. Bringing ESOP Builders' experience and methodology into that practice means more Canadian business owners will find their way to employee ownership, and more Canadian employees will become owners. That's the whole point. It always has been."

As part of the acquisition, Joanna Phillips, ESOP Builders VP, will be joining Rewrite Capital Advisors as Director of the firm's newly created ESOP Division. Joanna, Perry's daughter, brings deep expertise in ESOP design and implementation and will lead Rewrite’s expanded offering for business owners pursuing employee share ownership structures.

A Critical Moment for Canada's EOT Legislation

The economic and national case for employee ownership is compelling—and the window to act is closing. Canada's landmark $10 million capital gains tax exemption for business owners who sell to an EOT is set to expire at the end of 2026, and has yet to be extended. This exemption has been the single most powerful driver of EOT adoption since the legislation came into force in January 2024. Without it, many of the business owners who would otherwise seriously consider an EOT will default back to private equity or foreign sale simply because the financial incentive to do otherwise is no longer there. A permanent exemption would give owners the confidence and the runway to seriously consider employee ownership as their exit.

Research shows that employee-owned companies outperform private equity-owned firms across key metrics including productivity, wage growth, and employee retention. When an employee ownership structure keeps a business in Canadian hands, it also keeps profits, decision-making, and jobs rooted in Canadian communities. It is a proven economic strategy, one that boosts productivity, builds wealth for working Canadians, and keeps businesses anchored in the communities that built them.

About Rewrite Capital Advisors: Founded as Canada's expert in EOTs, Rewrite now guides business owners through the full spectrum of employee ownership transactions from feasibility through to close. The firm believes in the power of employee ownership to protect Canadian companies, their people and their legacy. rewrite.capital

About ESOP Builders: ESOP Builders was a leading Canadian consultancy specializing in the design and implementation of Employee Share Ownership Plans for small and medium-sized private businesses across Canada.