McKinney Builder Becomes Fully Employee Owned Through ESOP

Pogue Construction, a decades old regional builder based in McKinney, announced on December 11, 2025 that it transitioned to a 100 percent employee owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan effective December 1, 2025. The firm provides design and construction services across commercial, educational and municipal projects, and officials said day to day operations and leadership will remain the same while employees gain ownership stakes.

Company leaders framed the conversion as a long term commitment to employees and the Collin County community. The change is intended to align incentives, reward longtime staff and preserve local ownership of a business that has built and managed projects for public agencies and private clients in the region. For workers, the ESOP transfers an ownership interest that typically vests over time and can affect retirement compensation and retention, while management continuity aims to keep project pipelines intact.

Local implications include potential stability for ongoing municipal and educational projects that rely on experienced local contractors. With leadership unchanged, city and county officials can expect continuity in client relationships and project delivery, while employees who become owners may have stronger incentives to protect local contracts and maintain quality standards. For the broader Collin County construction market, the move signals one path for succession planning among locally rooted firms that want to remain community based rather than sell to outside investors.

From a policy perspective, public officials who prioritize local economic resilience may view employee ownership as a tool for preserving locally controlled firms and middle class jobs. The ESOP structure can support long term workforce retention and keep decision making and investment in the community, which matters as Collin County continues to expand its commercial and civic footprint.

As Pogue moves forward under employee ownership, the change will be watched by other regional contractors and municipal clients for its effects on job stability, project continuity and local investment over the coming years.