As seen in the Jonesboro Sun
Jan. 29, 2026
Arkansas-based Lexicon, Inc. announced today that it has become an employee-owned company through the establishment of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The decision follows a comprehensive review of long-term succession needs and reflects leadership’s commitment to preserving company culture, strengthening Lexicon’s future and rewarding the dedication of its more than 3,000 employees across the country.
CEO Patrick Schueck led the move as a natural extension of the company’s family-focused culture. After thoughtful consideration of how best to secure Lexicon’s future, Schueck determined that employee ownership was the most meaningful way to preserve the values and legacy that have defined the company since its 1968 founding by his parents, Marge and the late Tom Schueck. The transition marks a strategic investment in the people who have built the company and will lead it for decades to come.
An ESOP is a long-term employee benefit plan that gives eligible employees ownership in the company through stock shares – at no cost to them. Structured as a trust, it also functions as a retirement plan, similar to a 401(k), with shares held on behalf of employee-owners until they retire or leave the company. For Lexicon employees, the shift to an ESOP changes only who owns the company; their roles, leaders, day-to-day work, customer relationships, regular compensation, benefits and 401(k) will remain exactly the same.
With this transition, Lexicon joins a growing number of private companies nationwide that have embraced employee ownership as a strategy for long-term stability, cultural preservation and shared success. The move ensures that the people who built the company – and continue to propel it forward – will directly benefit from its future success.
