History of Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers, Inc., has been a publicly owned, nonprofit corporation since Aug. 18, 1923, when original articles of incorporation were filed with Wisconsin’s secretary of state.

One of the more remarkable business stories in American history, the Green Bay Packers organization has been kept viable by its shareholders — its unselfish fans. Even more incredible, the Packers have survived and thrived during the current era, permeated by free agency and the NFL salary cap.

Fans have supported the team financially through five stock sales: 1923, 1935, 1950, 1997 and 2011.

Today, approximately 361,300 people (representing approximately 5,009,400 shares) are owners of the iconic franchise.

The organization's fifth stock offering, which ended Feb. 29, 2012, was a tremendous success with the organization adding more than 250,000 new shareholders becoming owners. For the first time in a Packers stock offering, international sales in Canada were issued for a short while and accounted for approximately 2,000 shares.

More than 269,000 shares were sold during the offering that began Dec. 6, 2011.

All proceeds from the offering are going toward the expansion of Lambeau Field, a $143 million project that includes approximately 6,700 seats, new HD video boards, a new sound system and two new gates. The new sound system was in place for the 2011 season, the new video boards and one gate were launched in 2012 and the new seats and second gate will debut for the 2013 season.

2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

The Green Bay Packers will present four candidates for shareholder vote at July's Annual Meeting to join the Packers Board of Directors: Kate Burgess, Michael Daniels, Mark Rourke and Kurt Voss.

The candidate information will be included in proxy information being sent in June to more than 537,000 shareholders in advance of the Annual Meeting, set for Monday, July 25, at 11 a.m. in Lambeau Field. The four candidates were approved by vote of the organization's Board of Directors at its May 11 quarterly meeting.

Burgess is the CEO/Owner at Elevate97, a Green Bay-based branding and design business. Daniels is the President/CEO at Nicolet National Bank, which he co-founded in 2000. Rourke is the CEO and president of Schneider National, Inc., a premier provider of transportation, logistics and intermodal services. Voss is the owner and CEO of AmeriLux International, a distributor of materials used for building and construction.

"We're looking forward to presenting these nominees for a vote of the shareholders," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "Each candidate brings a unique perspective and valuable experience that will be a big help to our Board. We're excited to welcome them to the organization."

The shareholders meeting also will see three members take on emeritus status: Rick Chernick (originally elected in 1998), Larry McCarren (2015) and Eric Torkelson (2019).

"We appreciate the contributions of each director during their time on the Board," Murphy said. "Rico has been a great asset during his 24-year tenure (and we've especially appreciated his unique sense of humor). Both Larry and Eric have provided valuable insight as former players and members of our community. Fortunately, Larry will continue his fine work as an employee of the organization."

Shareholders will be provided four Annual Meeting tickets for each Shareholder account, including accounts that have a joint or custodial registration. Shareholders receiving meeting materials electronically will be able to access print-at-home tickets upon voting their shares. New shareholders are reminded to look for their materials to arrive in the mail or electronically mid-June, whichever method they selected upon purchasing their shares, and are asked to vote their shares promptly.

The Packers also are asking shareholders who have not received any communications from the organization in the last 12 months to contact Shareholder Services to update their address, including street and email addresses. Shareholder Services can be reached via telephone at 855-8GO-PACK (855-846-7225) or email at shareholderservices@packers.com.

2021 Green Bay Packers Stock Sale

The Green Bay Packers' sixth stock sale, which ended Feb. 25, 2022, was an outstanding success, with the organization adding 176,160 new shareholders. 

While exact totals are not yet available, more than 198,000 shares were sold at $300 each during the offering that began on Nov. 16. Including previous offerings, the organization now has more than 537,000 shareholders.

Approximately $65.8 million was raised during the offering, with net proceeds going toward ongoing construction projects at Lambeau Field, including new video boards and concourse upgrades. 

"We were very pleased with the enthusiastic response from our fans during the recent stock offering," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "We are proud to welcome a new generation of shareholders from across the country and Canada. Their support is a critical component of our ability to continue enhancing the fan experience and investing in Lambeau Field. Maintaining our stadium as a top-tier facility that serves as a year-round destination contributes to the sustained success of both the franchise and our community." 

New shareholders joining the ranks include fans in Wisconsin, who account for approximately 17 percent of the shares purchased in the recently completed offering. Next in order were fans in California (8 percent), Texas (5 percent), Illinois (5 percent), Florida (4 percent) and New York (3 percent). In Canada, Packers fans purchased approximately 3,500 shares.