227: Protecting People, Legacy, and Culture with Amy Veltri, NGE

"The day you start your business, you should know your exit strategy."  Host Laurie Barkman sits down with Amy Veltri, Co-Founder and CEO of NGE, an environmental and geotechnical engineering firm. Amy built the company with her brother nearly 20 years ago, and made the deliberate choice to transition to 100% employee ownership through an ESOP. Amy shares the personal journey of weighing a third-party sale, doing nothing, or choosing a path that protected the people who helped build the business.   Celebrating 6 Years of Succession Stories This episode is part of a special milestone—celebrating 6 years of the Succession Stories Podcast. Thank you for being part of this journey, where we explore the real stories, decisions, and strategies behind building, transitioning, and exiting businesses. This episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience in partnership with the Exit Planning Institute Pittsburgh Chapter, bringing the conversation to life with an engaged community of advisors and business owners.   Key Episode Insights Co-founding a business with a sibling requires clear operating agreements to protect both the relationship and the company Drive may be an innate entrepreneurial trait, but skills like communication and judgment can be learned Knowing your exit strategy from day one shapes how you build and grow your business An ESOP can be financially compelling — tax savings alone can nearly offset transaction costs Employees who become owners are motivated to grow company value for themselves and future colleagues Leadership succession planning requires intentionality — and starting the search early enough to find the right fit   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and the Entrepreneurial Gene  02:00 Co-Founding NGE with Her Brother — and Making It Work  08:00 Scaling from $50K to $5M in Five Years  09:15 Challenges when scaling the business 11:30 The Three Exit Options for a Service-Based Business  14:00 Why a Near-Closing Third-Party Sale Changed Everything  15:30 Understanding ESOPs and the Feasibility Study Process  17:00 The ESOP Magic — Tax Benefits and Employee Engagement  21:00 Leadership Succession and the Search for Amy's Replacement  22:25 What's Next: Retiring, Grandbabies, and Letting Go     Is your business truly ready—and are you? Take the Succession Readiness Assessment to get a clear snapshot of where you stand and what to focus on next. https://btsherpa.com/succession   P.S. Most owners don't realize where they stand until they're already in a transition. Take a few minutes now to understand your readiness—and give yourself more options later.     Connect with Laurie Barkman:  Website: https://lauriebarkman.me LinkedIn: in/lauriebarkman YouTube: @LaurieBarkman_BTSherpa     Connect with Amy Veltri: Website: https://www.ngeconsulting.com  Email: [email protected]