Preserves nearly 60-year legacy as one of the state’s largest private companies by formalizing longstanding commitment to employees.
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.
“No one knows and understands this company better than the people who work here every day,” said Schueck. “When I thought about the future of the business my parents built from nothing — and that I’ve been privileged to help grow — it became clear that the only way to protect our legacy was to place it in the hands of those who built it with us. Our employees have always been family, and making them owners is an honor and a joy.”
In moving toward ESOP status, Lexicon’s leadership focused on maintaining continuity while rewarding the employees who power the company’s success. The ESOP structure ensures the current leadership team remains in place and that day-to-day operations continue uninterrupted.
“The leadership team Lexicon has today will continue as-is,” said Schueck. “My family has always insisted that Lexicon’s people come first. The ESOP is an excellent way for longtime employees to have an ownership stake in the company, and for employees to build equity and wealth over the long term. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
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.
The ESOP transition occurred in late 2025.
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.
