Press Release
Bee Window Officially Transitions to 100% Employee Ownership, Choosing Legacy Over Private Equity and Empowering More Than 100 New Employee Shareholders...
Bee Window Officially Transitions to 100% Employee Ownership, Choosing Legacy Over Private Equity and Empowering 102 Employee Shareholders
Power100 - BEE Window
April 17, 2026 | 4 min Read
At Bee Window’s first-ever employee shareholder meeting, CEO Patrick Rinard stood alongside founder George Faerber and national ranking platform Power100 CEO Greg Cummings to announce that, instead of selling to private equity, Indiana’s number one-ranked home improvement company has become 100 percent employee owned through an ESOP—turning more than 100 team members into shareholders, creating a second retirement benefit without out-of-pocket investment, and proving that in a consolidating industry, legacy, culture, and white-glove five-star service can still win over short-term exits.
For more than four decades, Bee Window has been one of Indiana’s most trusted home improvement companies. Founded in 1983, the company grew from a small family business into a statewide leader known for quality craftsmanship, strong customer relationships, and a true white glove five star experience. With more than 100 employees and thousands of projects completed each year, Bee Window has built a reputation rooted in care, follow through, and long term commitment to both customers and team members.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. As a national authority in ranking elite contractors and CEOs, Greg Cummings and Power100 were present to document Bee Window’s first official employee shareholder meeting. The alignment reflects a shared mission to protect industry integrity, celebrate ethical leadership, and support companies that choose long term value over short term gain.
A Defining Moment as Bee Window Hosts Its First Employee Shareholder Meeting
The atmosphere inside Bee Window felt different that morning. What began as a company breakfast quickly became a historic milestone. More than 100 team members gathered for what would become the first official employee shareholder meeting in the company’s 41 year history. The purpose of the event was clear. Bee Window was formally announcing its transition to a 100 percent employee owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
The meeting was designed for the Bee Window employee family. Installers, sales professionals, office leaders, marketing staff, and operations teams sat side by side. This was not a public marketing event. It was an internal turning point. Every person in the room was now more than an employee. They were owners.
CEO Patrick Rinard opened the presentation by explaining where the company stands today and why this decision matters now more than ever. The home improvement industry has seen a wave of private equity acquisitions in recent years. Many small and mid sized companies have been bought and rolled into larger groups focused on short term returns. Bee Window chose a different path. Instead of selling to outside investors, founders George Faerber and Pam made the decision to sell the company directly to the people who helped build it.
“This is the first shareholder meeting for Bee Window moving forward,” said Patrick Rinard, CEO of Bee Window. “It used to be a family owned business. It still is. The family just got bigger.”
The scale of the impact is significant. One hundred percent of the company has been transferred to its employees. More than 100 team members are now shareholders. The ESOP structure creates a second retirement benefit without requiring employees to invest their own money. As the company grows and debt is reduced, the value of employee shares grows as well.
What made this event unique was not just the announcement itself, but the message behind it. In a market where many competitors are selling to private equity firms, Bee Window chose to protect its culture, its people, and its customer experience. The transition was not framed as a financial transaction. It was presented as a commitment to long term stability, shared responsibility, and generational leadership in Indiana’s home improvement industry.
By the end of the meeting, the message was clear. Bee Window is no longer owned by two founders. It is owned by the very people who install the windows, answer the phones, meet with customers, and deliver the five star experience the company is known for.
Choosing Legacy Over Private Equity in a Time of Industry Consolidation
When Patrick Rinard stepped forward to address the Bee Window team, he did not begin with celebration. He began with context. The home improvement industry is changing fast. Across the country, private equity firms are buying small and mid sized companies, rolling them together, and focusing on short term financial returns.
Patrick made it clear that Bee Window had options.
“Private equity was looking at purchasing Bee Window,” said Patrick Rinard, CEO of Bee Window. “But when you start looking at what happens in those transitions, the people who built the company are often the ones who lose.”
He explained how roll ups often lead to cost cutting, culture changes, and decisions driven by the bottom line instead of the customer. For a company built on reputation and follow through, that path did not align with its values.
George Faerber, who founded Bee Window with Pam in 1983, reinforced that conviction.
“There is nothing like a family business,” George said. “Family businesses care.”
Instead of selling to an outside group, George and Pam chose to protect what had been built over four decades. The ESOP was not the easier path. It required years of planning and coordination. But it ensured that the future of Bee Window would remain in the hands of people who understand its standards and its customers.
From Family Owned to 100 Percent Employee Owned
The heart of the announcement was simple but powerful. Ownership has expanded.
“It used to be a family owned business,” Patrick told the room. “It still is. The family just got bigger.”
With the close of the ESOP, George and Pam sold 100 percent of the company to its employees. More than 100 team members are now shareholders. This was the first official employee shareholder meeting in company history.
Patrick explained that this moment marked a permanent shift in identity. Employees are no longer just working for Bee Window. They are building equity in Bee Window. The transition created a shared responsibility that reaches across every department, from installers to office staff.
George asked the team to look around the room.
“Some of you will look back years from now and remember this first shareholders meeting,” he said. “This is where it begins.”
The shift from two owners to more than one hundred is not symbolic. It changes how the company thinks, operates, and grows. Every decision now affects a broad group of employee owners whose futures are directly tied to the company’s success.
Protecting Culture, Jobs, and the Five Star Experience
Throughout the presentation, one theme returned again and again. The ESOP was about protection.
Patrick spoke openly about what concerned leadership most during transition talks. It was not just valuation. It was people.
“They wanted to protect your jobs,” Patrick explained. “They wanted to reward each and every one of you for the hard work and dedication that built this company.”
Bee Window has long been known for its white glove five star service. That reputation was built on follow through and personal accountability. George shared a simple but powerful definition of what it means to care.
“When you say you care, it means people do not have to ask you twice,” George said.
In a world where large corporations can treat customers like numbers, Bee Window wanted to preserve its human approach. The ESOP ensures that the same team members who answer the phones, install the windows, and solve customer concerns are the same people who now benefit from long term growth.
Patrick challenged the team to think differently moving forward.
“I want you to walk into every customer’s home as an owner of Bee Window,” he said. “This is your company. This is your future.”
The customer experience is no longer just a service standard. It is directly connected to shareholder value.
Ownership as Economic Empowerment
One of the most powerful parts of the presentation was the financial education behind the ESOP. Patrick took time to explain how the structure works and why it matters.
The ESOP functions like a second retirement plan. Employees do not invest their own money. Instead, shares are allocated based on tenure and hours worked. As company debt is paid down and as the business grows, the value of those shares increases.
“This is an incredible opportunity,” Patrick said. “You have already earned it.”
George added another important point about the long term benefit.
“With the ESOP, there is no income tax on the ESOP itself,” George explained. “When you think about that over ten or fifteen years, that is huge.”
The message was clear. This is not a short term bonus. It is long term wealth building. It creates a pathway for employees to retire with greater financial stability while continuing to grow the company they now own together.
Institutionalizing Leadership for Generations to Come
The transition also introduced a structured governance model designed to ensure long term stability. A formal board of directors has been established, including George, Pam, Patrick, and Harold, a respected construction leader who previously guided his own company through an ESOP transition.
Harold brought outside perspective and credibility to the moment.
“An ESOP cannot cure a troubled company,” Harold said. “But an ESOP can make a good company great.”
He explained that ESOP companies operate with strong fiduciary responsibility and accountability, similar to a publicly traded company. Decisions are guided by discipline and long term thinking, not short term pressure.
Companies that outlive their founders, Harold noted, are rare and worthy of pride. The ESOP provides a framework that allows Bee Window to institutionalize its culture, knowledge, and reputation beyond one generation.
For Patrick, the structure strengthens leadership while preserving founder wisdom.
“George and Pam have sold 100 percent of the company to you,” Patrick said. “But their experience and guidance remain with us.”
The result is a company positioned not only for the next year, but for the next several decades. Bee Window is no longer dependent on a single ownership line. It is anchored by a broad base of employee shareholders, guided by governance, and united by a shared commitment to care, follow through, and excellence.
This is more than a transition. It is a transformation.
A Transformational Moment That Redefines the Future of Bee Window
The first employee shareholder meeting at Bee Window was more than a company update. It was a defining moment that reshaped the identity of the organization. What began in 1983 as a small family venture has now evolved into a 100 percent employee owned company built on shared responsibility, shared reward, and shared pride.
The impact of the conversation reached far beyond financial structure. It shifted mindset. Employees left the room not just informed, but empowered. They were reminded that every installation, every phone call, every customer interaction now carries deeper meaning. Ownership changes how people think. It strengthens accountability. It builds unity.
“This is your company,” said Patrick Rinard, CEO of Bee Window. “This is your future.”
That message echoed throughout the room. The ESOP is not simply a transaction. It is a commitment to long term stability for employees and long term consistency for customers. It protects jobs. It protects culture. It protects the white glove five star experience that has defined Bee Window for more than four decades.
The community impact is equally significant. Indiana homeowners continue to work with a company that is rooted in care, not corporate roll ups. In an industry where consolidation has become common, Bee Window stands as proof that growth and integrity can coexist. The decision strengthens trust between company and customer, employer and employee, leadership and team.
Relationships were reinforced during the event. Founders George and Pam remain involved. A formal board of directors now provides governance and accountability. Industry leaders such as Harold bring outside perspective and validation. The structure ensures discipline while preserving the heart of a family business.
The long term significance is clear. Bee Window has positioned itself to outlive its founders. It has institutionalized its values. It has created an economic pathway for employees to build retirement wealth without personal financial risk. It has chosen sustainability over short term gain.
Looking forward, Bee Window enters a new era marked by confidence and clarity. Employee ownership becomes a competitive advantage. Culture becomes a market differentiator. Pride becomes part of the brand story.
The future of Bee Window is no longer defined by a single generation. It is carried forward by more than one hundred employee owners who now have both a voice and a stake in its success.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Power100 and why does it matter?
Power100 is an independent platform that ranks and recognizes top leaders and companies in the home improvement industry. It uses clear data, performance reviews, and reputation analysis to identify businesses that operate with strong leadership and high standards.
Being recognized by Power100 gives companies credibility and national visibility. It shows customers, employees, and partners that a company is trusted, stable, and performing at a high level. Bee Window has been ranked the number one home improvement company in Indiana for three years in a row through this platform.
- Why did Bee Window choose employee ownership instead of private equity?
Bee Window chose legacy over a quick payout. Leadership wanted to protect the company’s culture, employees, and customer experience. Selling to private equity could have changed the heart of the business.
By becoming 100 percent employee owned, Bee Window ensured that the people who helped build the company would directly benefit from its future success. CEO Patrick Rinard said, “This is your company. This is your future.” That statement reflects the deeper purpose behind the transition.
- What does employee ownership mean for Bee Window employees?
Employee ownership means that team members now have a stake in the company’s long term growth. Through the ESOP structure, employees can build retirement wealth without personal financial risk.
It also creates a stronger sense of responsibility and pride. When employees are owners, they think differently. They focus on quality, teamwork, and customer satisfaction because their future is connected to the company’s success.
- How does this change benefit customers?
Customers benefit from stability and consistency. The company’s leadership, culture, and service standards remain intact. There is no outside firm making short term decisions that could affect service quality.
Bee Window continues to operate with the same values it has upheld for more than forty years. The white glove five star experience remains a priority, now backed by a team of employee owners who are personally invested in delivering excellence.
- What is the long term vision for Bee Window after this transition?
The long term vision is growth with purpose. Bee Window has institutionalized leadership through a formal board structure while keeping its family business values alive. Founders remain involved, and experienced industry leaders provide guidance.
This structure ensures the company can thrive for generations. It protects jobs, strengthens culture, and positions Bee Window as a model for sustainable leadership in the home improvement industry.
About Power100
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry.
Founded by Greg Cummings, Power100 serves as a national authority in identifying and ranking elite contractors, CEOs, and vendors across the exterior remodeling space. Through data driven analysis, leadership interviews, financial review, and reputation evaluation, Power100 provides credibility and distinction to companies that operate with integrity and excellence.
Bee Window has been recognized as the number one home improvement company in the state of Indiana for three consecutive years through Power100’s proprietary ranking methodology. The organization continues to expand its national presence, advocating for transparency, ethical leadership, and higher standards across the industry.
To learn more about Power100 and its mission to elevate the best leaders in home improvement, visit Power100 and connect with Greg Cummings on LinkedIn.
To watch exclusive interviews and industry coverage, visit Power100 on YouTube at Power100 Youtube Channel.
Explore the platform and discover how Power100 is advancing leadership standards across the country.