Western Mass businesses change ownership recipe

GREENFIELD — From pickles to granola to beverages, a few local food makers are mixing up the recipe for how to own their growing businesses.

In each case, spokesmen for the businesses say there are advantages, in taxes and borrowing, that they discovered while the changes were in the works, but that their main motivation was to keep the small-scale, locally oriented businesses operating that way, with greater worker involvement in ownership.

The simplest change comes with the merger last week of Katalyst Kombucha and Green River Ambrosia, two related Wells Street businesses now known as Artisan Beverages Cooperative.

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