A family with some of Milwaukee's deepest manufacturing roots has decided to turn its company over to the people it credits most for its success.

The families of Donald Baumgartner and his son, John, owners of Paper Machinery Corp., handed the 65-year-old Milwaukee company over to stunned employees Monday through an employee stock ownership plan, a change that could put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the retirement accounts of some longtime workers.

Paper Machinery says it's the world's leading manufacturer of machines used to produce paperboard cups and containers for brands like McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC and Tim Hortons.

The announcement of the change was made at an employee meeting in a big party tent in front of the company headquarters, with plenty of beer, food and a jazz band.

Not knowing what to expect, some workers were worried that Paper Machinery was being sold to another company...