Johnny’s Selected Seeds now owned by employees

ALBION, Maine — Johnny’s Selected Seeds announced that it will be a 100 percent employee-owned company.

The company, which is provides seeds, tools, information and sales, will hold an event celebrating the move at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at its research farm in Albion.

An employee stock ownership plan was put in place in 2006 with the intention of the trust owning 100 percent of the shares by 2016. The trust has acquired 100 percent of the company from its founder, Rob Johnston.

“This is a wonderful retirement benefit and I am so grateful to Rob and [his wife] Janika [Eckert] for making this decision,” Mary Gomane, employee and trustee, said in a statement.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds was established in 1973 by Johnston and now has more than 130 full-time employees. It’s headquartered in Winslow and sells products through catalogs and its website.