Ownership

SHN is a corporation, which is “a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legally a person) and recognized as such in law” (Oxford Languages).  In this case, the group of people is the SHN shareholders.  SHN is 100% owned by its shareholders and has a program by which employees are invited to become shareholders.

Why would I want to be a shareholder? 

There are many reasons to become a shareholder. 

• Financial and investment opportunity; many consider their SHN shares to be part of their retirement portfolio.
• Inclusion; being in a group with others who are highly committed to the company, its employees, and each other.
• Voice in the business; having a voice in the business aspects of SHN is possible via the governance of SHN. Shareholders vote and elect the SHN Board of Directors, who hire and oversee the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is ultimately responsible for the financial and operational health of the company.

What happens if I leave SHN?

Only full-time employees may be shareholders, so if you reduce your hours to less than full-time on a permanent basis or leave SHN’s employ (for example, other employment or retirement), your shares will be sold back to SHN at the share value at that time.

Why does SHN have a shareholder program?

Jack Selvage and Duane Heber, the original partners of Selvage & Heber Engineering, were employed at a firm that promised ownership opportunities but did not follow through on these promises.  In 1979, this prompted Jack and Duane to start their own firm, and they strongly believed that employees should be shareholders.  When K. Jeff Nelson joined the firm, he quickly became a major shareholder and the firm name changed to Selvage, Heber & Nelson and Associates, Inc., and later, to simply SHN.  SHN continues this tradition of employee-owners.  In recent years, shareholder opportunity is a benefit that differentiates employment at SHN from many other consulting firms.