Fibrebond, a manufacturing company in Minden, Louisiana, has made headlines after CEO Graham Walker arranged $240 million in bonuses for employees as part of its $1.7 billion sale to Eaton. Unusually, none of the workers owned company stock, yet they will benefit directly from the deal.
Walker insisted that a portion of the sale proceeds be reserved for full‑time employees. As a result, 540 staff members will receive payouts averaging about $443,000 each, with long‑serving employees getting larger sums. Payments will be distributed over five years, provided employees remain with Fibrebond.
The bonuses are a reward for staying with the company through difficult times, including a factory fire, layoffs, salary freezes, and other challenges. Employees said they were shocked and grateful for the unexpected gift, using the funds for homes, debt repayment, education, and savings.
Fibrebond’s growth and sale were boosted by its move into modular power enclosures for data centres, which became highly sought after due to cloud computing and AI expansion.
Graham Walker’s approach stands out as a rare example of a CEO prioritising employee loyalty over stock ownership, sparking discussions about how companies can share success more broadly.
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