Menke Group
Menke Group is America's largest and oldest ESOP advisory firm, providing integrated design, installation, administration, appraisal, legal, and M&A services to privately held U.S. companies considering employee ownership transitions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Menke Group does
Menke Group (operating as Menke & Associates, Inc.) is a privately held, employee-owned professional services firm founded in 1974 in San Francisco, California, that specializes in Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) advisory services. The firm operates as America's largest and oldest dedicated ESOP advisor, having structured over 4,000 ESOPs and currently providing full-service administration to nearly 1,000 ESOPs — figures described as the most by any single organization in the category. Its service portfolio covers the full ESOP lifecycle, including plan design and installation, ongoing plan administration, business appraisals and fairness opinions, legal and tax compliance consulting, repurchase obligation studies (ESOP Success Score®), feasibility analyses (ESOP-FIT), M&A advisory for ESOP-owned companies, and employee communications.
The firm delivers these services through a national platform of 12 regional offices across California, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Nevada, supported by wholly-owned subsidiaries Sansome Street Appraisers, Inc. and BSI that internalize appraisal and back-office capabilities. Its technology footprint centers on the MenkeESOP.com participant portal — recently made free to clients — alongside proprietary ESOP analytical tools. The go-to-market model is sales-led and advisory-driven: the firm runs free preliminary ESOP feasibility analyses, live 90-minute executive webinars, the ESOP Radio podcast, ESOP Boot Camp education, and an active conference presence (NCEO, ESOP Association) to generate leads from business owners, CFOs, and professional advisors.
Revenue is generated through quote-based professional services engagements tied to company size and complexity. Target customers are privately held U.S. companies ranging from 10 to 10,000 employees across construction, manufacturing, services, distribution, technology, and adjacent verticals. The firm is majority employee-owned (Certified EO Founding Member since 2017), led by founder and President John D. Menke with CEO Trevor Gilmore having assumed the role in August 2024 as part of the 50th anniversary transition.
Menke Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Menke Group
- Legal name
- Menke & Associates, Inc.
- Website
- https://menke.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Menke Group is America's largest and oldest ESOP advisory firm, providing integrated design, installation, administration, appraisal, legal, and M&A services to privately held U.S. companies considering employee ownership transitions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Menke Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- ESOP Advisory & Administration Services
- NAICS
- Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB)
Keywords
Where Menke Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Menke Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- ESOP Design & Installation Services: Professional services for designing, structuring, and implementing new ESOPs including structuring, legal & tax compliance, valuation, documentation, debt capital raising, employee communication, and administration setup.
- ESOP Administration Services: Ongoing full-service administration for nearly 1,000 ESOPs, including combined ESOP & 401(k) administration, online access, and legal consulting.
- ESOP Appraisals & Valuations: Business valuation appraisals and fairness opinions for privately-held companies, with 30 years of experience in this area.
- M&A Advisory Services: Full-service M&A advisory helping business owners sell to an ESOP, raise capital, or explore strategic mergers from deal structuring to closing.
- ESOP Advisory Services: Advisory services for stock sales to ESOP trusts, including ESOP Success Score studies and repurchase obligation studies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free Preliminary ESOP Feasibility Analysis |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Menke Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Menke Group is America's largest and oldest ESOP advisory firm, providing integrated Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) services to privately held companies nationwide. The firm's core offerings include ESOP design and installation, full-service ESOP administration (for nearly 1,000 ESOPs), business valuations and fairness opinions, M&A advisory, ESOP-specific legal and tax consulting, combined ESOP & 401(k) plan administration, and employee communications. Services are delivered through a national platform of 12 regional offices and supported by a dedicated employee self-service portal (MenkeESOP.com).
Product overview
Menke Group is America’s largest and oldest ESOP advisory firm, offering a comprehensive single-source platform of ESOP services rather than a single software product. The portfolio centers on professional advisory services including ESOP Design & Installation, Full-Service ESOP Administration (administering nearly 1,000 ESOPs), Online ESOP Access via the MenkeESOP.com employee portal, Combined ESOP & 401(k) Administration, ESOP Appraisals, M&A Advisory Services, ESOP Success Score® Repurchase Obligation Studies, ESOP-FIT Analysis, ESOP Termination Advisory, and Legal Consulting. These core services are supplemented by educational resources including ESOP Boot Camp, ESOP Radio (podcast), On-Demand Webinars, and Live Seminars. The firm also provides a Free Preliminary ESOP Analysis tool as a lead generation service. The integrated national advisory platform combines investment banking, legal, valuation, and administration services delivered through regional offices across the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ESOP Success Score®: Proprietary ESOP repurchase obligation analysis tool
- ESOP-FIT Analysis
- MenkeESOP.com
- ESOP Radio
Products and services
- ESOP Design & Installation Design and installation of Employee Stock Ownership Plans for privately held companies with 10 to 10,000 employees, covering structuring, legal and tax compliance, valuation, documentation, debt capital raising, employee communication, and administration setup.
- Full-Service ESOP Administration Ongoing full-service plan administration for nearly 1,000 ESOPs, covering plan management, regulatory compliance, participant recordkeeping, and reporting — claimed as the largest ESOP administration book of any single firm.
- Online ESOP Access (MenkeESOP.com Employee Portal) Web-based portal providing ESOP participants with online self-service access to their account balances, plan information, and ESOP resources; now offered at no cost to Menke clients.
- ESOP Legal Consulting Legal consulting services for ESOP plan administration, including IRC 409(p) compliance, IRS & DOL compliance, legal documentation, and ongoing legal support for ESOP sponsors and trustees.
- Combined ESOP & 401(k) Administration Integrated administration of ESOP and 401(k) plans under a single service, using custom-drafted plans built on a 20-page compliance and design checklist.
- ESOP Appraisals & Fairness Opinions Business valuation appraisals and fairness opinions for privately held companies considering or maintaining ESOPs, leveraging 30 years of Menke's ESOP-specific valuation experience.
- M&A Advisory Services Full-service M&A advisory helping business owners sell to an ESOP, raise capital, or explore strategic mergers, covering deal structuring, financing, negotiation, and closing.
- ESOP Success Score® & Repurchase Obligation Studies Proprietary custom-designed repurchase obligation studies for company management, ESOP trustees, bank lenders, and outside advisors to measure and plan for ESOP repurchase obligations and retirement readiness.
- ESOP-FIT Analysis Feasibility analysis to evaluate whether a privately held company is a suitable candidate for an ESOP transaction, based on financial readiness, ownership objectives, structural fit, and succession alignment.
- ESOP Termination Advisory Advisory services to assist companies with the termination of an existing ESOP plan, including regulatory, valuation, tax, and employee communication considerations.
- ESOP Advisory Services for Stock Sales to ESOP Trusts Advisory services supporting the sale of company stock into ESOP trusts, including deal structuring, valuation, tax strategy, and integration with full-service administration.
- ESOP Employee Communications Services Communication services and materials designed to ensure that ESOP employees understand the ESOP plan being presented to them, including education, statements, and ongoing engagement.
- Free Preliminary ESOP Analysis Confidential preliminary review evaluating financial readiness, ownership objectives, structural fit, and succession alignment at no cost to business owners considering an ESOP.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,000 ESOPs structured since 1974
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Menke Group
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Menke Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Menke Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Menke Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Kalos Financial (ESOP practice): Kalos Financial is an insurance and financial services firm with a niche ESOP plan services offering. While its primary business is broader retirement and insurance products, its ESOP practice overlaps with Menke's administration and advisory services for certain plan-sponsor clients.
Emerging players
- Unconventional Capital: Unconventional Capital is an ESOP-focused advisory serving privately held businesses considering employee ownership transitions. It targets a similar owner-segment to Menke but is smaller and more narrowly focused, making it an emerging competitor in the same niche.
- Argent Retirement Plan Advisors: Argent is an independent, fee-only 401(k) and retirement plan advisor that has expanded into ESOP advisory and administration. They are an emerging competitor serving partially overlapping plan-sponsor clients but with a broader retirement-plan focus rather than ESOP specialization.
Direct peers
- Chartwell Financial Group: Chartwell is an independent ESOP advisory firm providing consulting, administration, and trustee services for employee stock ownership plans. Like Menke, it offers a multi-service ESOP platform targeting privately held companies considering ownership transitions.
- Prairie Capital Advisors: Prairie Capital Advisors is a national ESOP investment banking and valuation firm specializing in feasibility studies, transactions, and ongoing advisory for ESOP companies. It competes head-to-head with Menke in both the sell-side ESOP advisory and valuation practices.
- SES Advisors: SES Advisors focuses on ESOP consulting, ongoing administration, and employee communications for ESOP-owned companies. It targets a similar mid-market private company buyer profile with overlapping service offerings in administration and employee communications.
- Columbia Group (formerly Columbia Employee Services): Columbia Group is an ESOP-focused administration, consulting, and recordkeeping firm serving a large installed base of corporate ESOP clients. It is one of the larger direct competitors to Menke's administration and design services.
- GRT (Great Retirement Systems): GRT is a third-party ESOP administration firm focused on full-service plan administration, compliance testing, and Form 5500 filings. It overlaps directly with Menke's recurring ESOP administration business for employer-sponsored employee stock ownership plans.
- Capital ESOP / Carpenter Capital: Capital ESOP is a specialty advisory firm providing feasibility, valuation, and transaction support for selling business owners considering an ESOP transaction. It competes with Menke's advisory and feasibility practice for the same privately-held company market.
Broad incumbents
- ScottMadden (ESOP practice): ScottMadden is a broad management consulting firm with a dedicated ESOP advisory practice covering feasibility, transactions, and administration. It competes with Menke primarily on the consulting and feasibility side, though it does not match Menke's depth on administration or valuation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Menke Group social profiles
Digital presenceMenke Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Menke Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Menke Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Menke Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Menke Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Menke Group
What does Menke Group do?
Menke Group is America's largest and oldest ESOP advisory firm, providing integrated Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) services to privately held companies nationwide. The firm's core offerings include ESOP design and installation, full-service ESOP administration (for nearly 1,000 ESOPs), business valuations and fairness opinions, M&A advisory, ESOP-specific legal and tax consulting, combined ESOP & 401(k) plan administration, and employee communications. Services are delivered through a national platform of 12 regional offices and supported by a dedicated employee self-service portal (MenkeESOP.com).
Is Menke Group a public or private company?
Menke Group is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Menke Group founded?
Menke Group was founded in 1974. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Menke Group based?
Menke Group is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Menke Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. ESOP Design & Installation Services are the primary driver. The others are ESOP Administration Services, ESOP Appraisals & Valuations, M&A Advisory Services and ESOP Advisory Services.
Who are Menke Group's main competitors?
Kalos Financial (ESOP practice) is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Unconventional Capital and Argent Retirement Plan Advisors. Direct peers are Chartwell Financial Group, Prairie Capital Advisors, SES Advisors, Columbia Group (formerly Columbia Employee Services), GRT (Great Retirement Systems) and Capital ESOP / Carpenter Capital. ScottMadden (ESOP practice) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Menke Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Menke Group.
What industry is Menke Group in?
Menke Group's product category is ESOP Advisory & Administration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAE, Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension), with a secondary code of BPACAHAB, Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services. Its NAICS code is 5251 and its SIC code is 8742.