WEBIT Services says it became employee-owned in 2022 and reached 100% employee ownership in 2026 through a partnership with Buildkin. The transition offered founder Eric Rieger a way to step away while keeping the company in employees’ hands; WEBIT’s public announcement does not disclose the transaction’s legal form, valuation, financing, or individual employee stakes.
How WEBIT’s ownership changed
WEBIT Services is a managed IT provider based in Naperville, Illinois, serving the Chicago area. Founder Eric Rieger started the company in 1996. The company’s account describes two distinct ownership milestones: it became employee-owned in 2022, then reached 100% employee ownership in 2026 through a partnership with Buildkin, an employee-owned family of IT companies. WEBIT’s company history and its September 29, 2026 announcement describe that progression.
Rieger said he was stepping away to focus on his health. Delcie Bean, Buildkin’s CEO, took on the WEBIT CEO role, while Aarin Bailey remained COO and continued to lead day-to-day operations. ChannelPro reported the arrangement as a partnership that transferred ownership to WEBIT employees. ChannelPro’s September 30, 2026 report provides further context.
Why this was a succession choice, not just an exit
In its coverage, ChannelPro framed the decision around the future of employees, customer relationships, and company culture as well as the founder’s departure. It reported that 3rd Element Consulting identified internal employees interested in eventually taking over. That account presents employee ownership as a succession route Rieger chose; it does not establish that employee ownership produces better outcomes than a sale to an outside buyer, a management buyout, or family succession.
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- Author: Willink, Jocko.Babin, Leif.
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press
- Pages: 384
- Publication Date: 2017-11-21
- Edition: 1
WEBIT’s company history attributes this perspective to Rieger: “You can always find a way to replace bad revenue. It’s incredibly difficult to replace good people.” The statement expresses the founder’s view, not an independently measured result.
Bean described his role to ChannelPro this way: “My job is to be a careful custodian of what he built and to keep the promises he made.” ChannelPro also quoted him saying, “Eric could have handed this company to a lot of people. That he chose to hand it to his own employees tells you what he cared about.” Those are Bean’s characterizations of the decision, rather than evidence about its financial results.
What WEBIT told customers to expect
At the September 29, 2026 announcement, WEBIT said customers would continue working with the same vCIOs, engineers, and support contacts. It also said it had no changes planned to pricing, service agreements, support processes, or ticketing as part of the transition. These were the company’s statements at announcement time, not guarantees about conditions after that date. Bailey said, “When the people serving you own the business, the incentive lines up with long-term relationships and long-term reputation,” describing the alignment he believes employee ownership can create.
What the public accounts do not explain
The available company and trade-press accounts do not specify the transaction’s legal structure, purchase price or valuation, financing terms, tax treatment, or how ownership is allocated among employees. They do not say whether employees hold shares directly or through a trust. The sources therefore do not establish that WEBIT uses an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), or what stake any particular employee holds. ChannelE2E’s October 1, 2026 summary also describes the transition but does not supply those terms.
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WEBIT’s company history also lists a 99% client-satisfaction figure, but does not state the year, measurement period, or methodology. It should be read as a company-published claim, not independent evidence of customer outcomes before or after the transition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Questions another business owner can take from the case
For an owner weighing succession options, WEBIT’s experience is a case to examine, not a universal template. The useful comparison is between the goals and practical demands of each path:
- People and customers: Which option best fits the owner’s priorities for employee continuity and customer relationships?
- Leadership readiness: Is there an internal team prepared to run the business, and what leadership changes would be needed?
- Legacy: How important is keeping the company’s culture or its ownership with employees?
- Financing and execution: What funding would a transfer require, and what legal, tax, and operational work would each option involve?
The sources do not provide enough detail to assess how WEBIT addressed those financing and execution questions. An owner considering a similar path would need transaction-specific legal, tax, and financial advice rather than assuming WEBIT’s arrangement can be replicated on the same terms.
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