Wednesday, October 21, 2026
8–9:30 a.m. ET
In-person Event
Embassy Suites Grand Rapids Downtown
710 Monroe Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
The Association for Corporate Growth Western Michigan will host “Inside the ESOP Journey: From Succession Strategy to Employee Ownership,” offering a candid conversation exploring Employee Stock Ownership Plans from both the advisor and company perspectives. Warner partner Justin Stemple has been invited to participate in the Oct. 21 panel discussion.
Part of ACG’s Signature Program Series, the event will bring together CFOs, controllers, financial managers, attorneys, banking and finance professionals, insurance agents, CPAs and others who serve Michigan’s businesses and who may be involved in ownership transitions.
For many business owners without a successor, family member or management team to take over, ESOPs have become an increasingly attractive option. They allow owners to protect the companies they have built while remaining involved in operations, particularly if they want the business to stay locally owned and avoid a sale to a competitor or private equity group.
Stemple is chair of Warner’s Employee Benefits Practice Group and its ESOP Group. He focuses his practice on qualified retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans and executive compensation, with a particular emphasis on employee stock ownership plans. ESOPs comprise a majority of his practice and he anticipates this trend of companies moving to an ESOP structure to continue.
The event will be held at the Embassy Suites Grand Rapids Downtown. For more information, visit here.
