Life took a big turn last May for the employees of C.H.I. Overhead Doors, in the small town of Arthur, Illinois. Every employee was a co-owner of the company. They'd been told if the business sold at a profit, they'd all get a payday. Now, it was actually happening. "I'm just upfront, being all excited," said production manager Jim Hill. "Oh my gosh, like, we're talking life-changing money now!"

Hill, who joined the company in 2019, got two-and-a-half times his annual salary. "That was, 'Hey, Jim, like, it's easier to put your kids to college now!" he said. READ MORE