kkr  co is offering an equitysharing benefit to the 4000 workers in 33 states at groundworks llc as it continues building out a program to provide employees with skin in the game at their portfolio companies kkr said this week it was tapping equity from its 19 billion flagship north america xiii fund to acquire a controlling stake in groundworks llc a virginia beach va specialist in foundation and water services for an undisclosed sum groundworks founder and ceo matt malone said the company plans to grow its national presence organically and through acquisitions and that kkr’s employee ownership opportunity was a motivator for the deal “the strategic partnership enables groundworks llc to further invest in our predominantly blue collar workforce with equity sharing programs that will allow every colleague to participate in the success they help to create” malone said in a prepared statement kkr is teaming up with groundworks llc’s current private equity owner cortec  group which is retaining a minority stake in the company as the concept of employee ownership draw supported by another firm pete stavros cohead of us private equity at kkr sat down with marketwatch in june to talk about the nonprofit group ownership works that he started and its efforts to promote employee ownership plans as well as how he wins over skeptical workers and the state of the american dream also read can hourly workers profit from a privateequity buyout this kkr executive says yes stavros also manages kkr’s north america xiii fund which has committed to offer ownership stakes to workers in all of its majorityowned portfolio companies stavros continues to be chairman of ownership works while kkr is one of the nonprofits many corporate partners last year 800 workers at kkrbacked garagedoor manufacturer chi earned an average cash payout of 175000 when the company was sold to nucor corp nue in a deal that closed last year for its part ownership works aims to help build up at least 20 billion in wealth in 10 years for workers thus far kkr portfolio companies have awarded billions of dollars of total equity value to more than 50000 nonmanagement employees at nearly 30 companies since 2011 also read bridgewater’s karen karnioltambour promoted to cocio continuing her rise as one of the most powerful women on wall street