The ESOP Association Blog

The following press releases were sent out by The ESOP Association announcing the winners of the 2013 AACE Awards and the 2013 ESOP Awards. We’ve also included news and announcements regarding new Board of Directors members, new Advisory Committee Chairs, and the 2013-2014 Kelso Fellowship recipients. All of this information is available on The ESOP Association’s website.

Congratulations to all the 2013 award winners.

2013 AACE AWARD WINNERS

The ESOP Association Honors Members for Excellence in Employee Ownership Communications

The ESOP Association is pleased to announce the 2013 winners of the Annual Awards for Communications Excellence (AACE). The AACE Awards are sponsored each year by the Association to recognize the outstanding communications and educational programs of its members. The awards will be presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC to companies who have excelled in communicating the ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) and its meaning to employee owners.

AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOPs and employee ownership communications. Awards are based on: overall quality and quantity of employee owner education, contributions of employee owners, integration of the ESOP into company culture, frequency of ownership communications, involvement and/or response of employee owners, encouragement of ownership attitudes, clear explanations, creative ideas, graphic design, and technical quality.

The 2013 AACE Award winners are:

Category 1-A, Total Communications Program, 250 or Fewer Employees

Winner: MidSouth Building Supply, Inc., Springfield, VA

Runner Up: Murray Securus, Lancaster, PA

Category 1-B, Total Communications Program, Over 250 Employees

Winner: DCS Corporation, Alexandria, VA

Runner Up: Dakota Supply Group, Fargo, ND

Category 2-A, Video, 250 or Fewer Employees

Winner: PERRY ProTECH, Lima, OH

Runner Up: Owner Revolution Inc., Adair, IA

Category 2-B, Video, Over 250 Employees

Winner: Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, MO

Runner Up: Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc., Lafayette, LA

Category 3-A, Printed Materials, 250 or Fewer Employees

Winner: Lefiell Manufacturing Company, Santa Fe Springs, CA

Runner Up: MidSouth Building Supply Inc., Springfield, VA

Category 3-B, Printed Materials, Over 250 Employees

Winner: KAPCO, Brea, CA

Runner Up: Dakota Supply Group, Fargo, ND

Category 4-A, Intranet, 250 or Fewer Employees

Winner: Wiley & Wilson, Inc., Lynchburg, VA

Runner Up: Monroe Publishing Company, Monroe, MI

Category 4-B, Intranet, Over 250 Employees

Winner: Holden Industries, Inc., Deerfield, IL

Runner Up: The Sleep Train, Inc., Rocklin, CA

Category 5-A, ESOP Advertising – Ownership Marketing – General

Winner: Carl Warren & Company, Placentia, CA

Runner Up: Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, MO

Category 5-B, ESOP Advertising – Ownership Marketing – Web Sites

Winner: Van Meter Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA

Runner Up: Carris Reels, Inc. Proctor, VT

Category 6-A, Special Events & Promotions, 1 Outstanding Event, 250 or Fewer Employees

Winner: Priority Sign, Sheboygan, WI

Runner Up: Vermeer Texas-Louisiana, Inc., Irving, TX

Category 6-B, Special Events & Promotions, 1 Outstanding Event, Over 250 Employees

Winner: Travel & Transport, Inc., Omaha, NE

Runner Up: Carris Reels, Inc., Proctor, VT

Category 7-A, Special Events, Promotions, Series, 250 or Fewer Employees

Winner: Admix, Inc., Manchester, NH

Runner Up: Toll Company, Plymouth, MN

Category 7-B, Special Events, Promotions, Series, Over 250 Employees

Winner: Glatfelter Insurance Group, York, PA

 

2013 SILVERS ESOP AWARD WINNERS

 

The ESOP Association Announces 2013 Silver ESOP Award Recipients

The ESOP Association has presented 26 corporate members of the Association with a Silver ESOP Award to recognize their work in sustaining their ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) for 25 years or more. This year, the Silver ESOP Awards are being presented to companies that will be celebrating 25 years or more as an ESOP company in 2013.

This is the sixth year the Silver ESOP Awards have been presented by the Association. In 2008, 117 corporate members were presented with the first annual Silver ESOP Awards; 2009, 12 members; 2010, 22 members; 2011, 41 members; and in 2012, 49 members were honored. To be named a Silver ESOP Award recipient, a company must be a member of The ESOP Association and have an ESOP in place for 25 years or more.

“It is my pleasure to present these 26 companies with the 2013 Silver ESOP Award for excellence in sustaining their ESOP for 25 years,” said ESOP Association President, J. Michael Keeling. “Research proves that ESOPs, and companies with other forms of employee stock ownership, provide more sustainable employment. Policies to encourage employee stock ownership, and new policies to increase ownership among more working Americans, need to be considered by our national leaders.”

2013 Silver ESOP Award Recipients:

Anderson & Associates, Inc., Blacksburg, VA

Beacon Technical Industries, Inc., Atlanta, GA

Bobbitt Design Build, Inc., Raleigh, NC

Bradford Company, Holland, MI

Brunson Instrument Company, Kansas City, MO

Century Bank & Trust, Coldwater, MI

DCI, Inc., Saint Cloud, MN

Dexter Apache Holdings, Inc., Fairfield, IA

Energy Product Sales, Saint Paul, MN

Forsythe Technology, Inc., Skokie, IL

Frank P. Langley Co., Inc., Amherst, NY

Gardener’s Supply Company, Burlington, VT

Howard’s Appliances, Inc., La Habra, CA

ITA Group, Inc., West Des Moines, IA

John Latta Associates, Inc., Portland, OR

John W. Danforth Co., Tonawanda, NY

Keenan & Associates, Torrance, CA

Keller, Inc., Kaukauna, WI

Lamp, Rynearson & Associates, Inc., Omaha, NE

Pension Works, Inc., Colchester, VT

Precise Metal Products Company, Phoenix, AZ

RPM, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI

SJE-Rhombus, Detroit Lakes, MN

Staab Construction Corporation, Marshfield, WI

West Valley Construction Co., Inc., Campbell, CA

Wheaton Van Lines, Inc., Indianapolis, IN

2013 ESOP AWARD WINNERS

 

Markita Madden-Puckett of ComSonics, Inc. Named 2013 Employee Owner of the Year by The ESOP Association

Markita Madden-Puckett of ComSonics, Inc., located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, has been named the 2013 Employee Owner of the Year by The ESOP Association. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Markita Madden-Puckett is a Customer Service Representative for the Western Repair Services Division of ComSonics, Inc. She joined ComSonics in 2001 and has exceeded all expectations of an employee owner. She is head of the company’s ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) Employee Advisory Committee, she has been chair for the last three years, and is active in all aspects of ESOP education at the company. She plans the company’s annual Participant’s Meeting, organizes Employee Ownership Month activities which include education about the company’s ESOP, mentors new employee owners, and conducts a new participants lunch for employee ownership who are eligible for participation in the ESOP. Ms. Madden-Puckett is a strong advocate for the ESOP outside of the company as well. She actively attends both Chapter and National ESOP Association events, and has been a conference speaker multiple times sharing her experiences and ideas with other ESOP companies. She has also taken the time to meet with her member of Congress to discuss the value of employee ownership through the ESOP.

ComSonics, Inc., according to the company’s website, has been building solutions for the cable television industry for over 40 years. Also under the ComSonics, Inc. umbrella is ComSonics Repair Services, ComSonics Mobile Calibration, and CEMSI, the electronic manufacturing service. For more information, please visit: www.comsonics.com.

 

Carl Warren & Company Named 2013 ESOP Company of the Year by The ESOP Association

Carl Warren & Company, an employee-owned company headquartered in Placentia, California, was named the 2013 ESOP Company of the Year by The ESOP Association. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Founded in 1944, Carl Warren & Company has provided claim and litigation management services to clients for almost 70 years. The employee-owned company employs approximately 350 individuals with 35 offices across the United States. In 1975, the company established the ESOP (employee stock ownership plan), and 38 years later, the company and employee owners are even more dedicated to the ESOP. The employee owners of Carl Warren have built a culture they are proud of and devote time to the ESOP community and share the idea of employee ownership with companies in their area. For more information, please visit: http://www.carlwarren.com.

Carl Warren & Company is a strong supporter of employee ownership and The ESOP Association. Employee owners attend Chapter and National events, present at conferences and seminars, sharing insights on what it means to be an ESOP company. The company takes advantage of every opportunity to share information about the ESOP, holds regular meetings to talk about the ESOP internally, hosts events for employee owners to share information, and offers educational information to nurture the company’s employee ownership culture. As the company says, “What does it take to build and maintain a successful ESOP? It takes grit, true grit and that is the stuff Carl Warren & Company is made of.”

 

John P. Murphy of Atlantic Management Company, Inc. Receives 2013 Membership Recruitment Award from The ESOP Association

John P. Murphy of Atlantic Management Company, Inc. located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was presented with The ESOP Association’s 2013 Membership Recruitment Award for a Professional Member. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Mr. Murphy is actively involved in the work of The ESOP Association and in particular, the New England Chapter of the Association. His commitment to employee ownership through the ESOP concept is evident in the work he has done not only for his clients but for the Association. Mr. Murphy actively educates companies about the Association and promotes the cause of the Association as well.

 

Ronald J. Gilbert of ESOP Services, Inc. Named Outstanding Board of Governors Member by The ESOP Association

Ronald J. Gilbert, President of ESOP Services, Inc., located in Scottsville, Virginia, was named the 2013 Outstanding Board of Governors Member by The ESOP Association. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Mr. Gilbert is an active member of The ESOP Association’s Board of Governors and has served in numerous volunteer capacities for the Association over the last two decades. He is involved on both the Chapter and National levels and has been actively working to educate the public and members of Congress about the value of employee ownership in America.

 

ComSonics, Inc. Wins 2013 Employee Ownership Month Poster Contest

ComSonics, Inc., an employee-owned company located in Harrisonburg, Virginia has been selected by The ESOP Association as its 2013 Employee Ownership Month Poster Contest Winner. The winning poster design was unveiled at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

ComSonics, Inc., according to the company’s website, has been building solutions for the cable television industry for over 40 years. Also under the ComSonics, Inc. umbrella is ComSonics Repair Services, ComSonics Mobile Calibration, and CEMSI, the electronic manufacturing service. For more information, please visit: www.comsonics.com.

ComSonics’s poster was chosen because of the idea it expressed: ESOP, As American as Me. The poster will be used by The ESOP Association to promote Employee Ownership Month, which takes place every October and is a celebration of the incredible spirit of employee ownership.

2013 ESOP AWARD WINNERS – CHAPTER WINNERS

Rod Reinertson of Van Meter Inc. Named 2013 Chapter Officer of the Year by The ESOP Association

Rod Reinertson of Van Meter Inc., located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was named the 2013 Chapter Officer of the Year by The ESOP Association. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Mr. Reinertson has been actively involved with the Association on both the Chapter and National levels for several years. He is currently President of the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter of the Association and has been instrumental in the development of the Chapter’s programming and educational events targeting members in Iowa and Nebraska. He has been active in sharing the employee ownership message with members of Congress and working to promote the Association and its message to new members in the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter.

Southwest Chapter Named 2013 ESOP Chapter of the Year by The ESOP Association

The Southwest Chapter of The ESOP Association was named the 2013 ESOP Chapter of the Year by The ESOP Association. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

The Association’s Southwest Chapter experienced all-time highs in meeting attendance over the last year and Chapter members outdid previous work in support of membership recruitment, fundraising for the Association’s affiliated foundation, the Employee Ownership Foundation, and support of the Association’s government relations efforts. The Southwest Chapter was selected from among 18 Association Chapters across the United States for this honor. The Southwest Chapter includes members in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Carolinas Chapter Recognized for Outstanding Membership Development by The ESOP Association

The Carolinas Chapter of The ESOP Association was recognized for its commitment to membership development at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

The Carolinas Chapter demonstrated a focused commitment to membership development in the last year, and as a result, directly increased membership in the Chapter. The Chapter saw a 13.9% increase in membership in 2012. The Chapter, which includes members in North Carolina and South Carolina, was selected from among 18 Association Chapters across the United States for this honor.

 

Michigan Chapter Recognized for Outstanding Membership Development by The ESOP Association

The Michigan Chapter of The ESOP Association was recognized for its commitment to membership development at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

The Michigan Chapter demonstrated a focused commitment to membership development in the last year, and as a result, directly increased membership in the Chapter. The Chapter saw an 11.2% increase in membership in 2012. The Chapter was selected from among 18 Association Chapters across the United States for this honor.

 

Northwest Chapter Recognized for Outstanding Membership Development by The ESOP Association

The Northwest Chapter of The ESOP Association was recognized for its commitment to membership development at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

The Northwest Chapter demonstrated a focused commitment to membership development in the last year, and as a result, directly increased membership in the Chapter. The Chapter saw an 11.3% increase in membership in 2012. The Chapter was selected from among 18 Association Chapters across the United States for this honor. The Northwest Chapter includes members in Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

 

Southwest Chapter Recognized for Outstanding Membership Recruitment by The ESOP Association

The Southwest Chapter of The ESOP Association was recognized for its commitment to membership recruitment, for the second year in a row, at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Members of the Southwest Chapter met several targets in the promotion of employee ownership in the southwest region and also met Chapter membership goals in 2012. The Southwest Chapter was selected from among 18 Association Chapters across the United States for this honor. The Southwest Chapter includes Association members in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

ESOP ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

The ESOP Association Announces New Advisory Committee Chairs

On May 1, 2013, three ESOP Association members became new Advisory Committee Chairs of The ESOP Association. These committees are comprised primarily of members of the Association who work in the area of their Committee’s jurisdiction. The Advisory Committees play important roles in developing services for members of the Association and comprised of both corporate and professional members of the Association.

New Advisory Committee Chairs:

• Steven B. Greenapple, Esq., Steiker, Fischer, Edwards & Greenapple. P.C., Cedar Knolls, NJ, Chair of the Association’s Advisory Committee on Legislative & Regulatory Issues
• Jeffrey S. Tarbell, Houlihan Lokey, San Francisco, CA, Chair of the Association’s Advisory Committee on Valuation
• Michael J. Harden, Eureka Capital Partners, LLC, Chair of the Association’s Advisory Committee on Finance

Current Advisory Committee Chairs:

• Peter J. Shuler, Crowe Horwath LLP, Columbus OH, Chair of the Association’s Advisory Committee on Administration
• Dan Marcue, Woodward Communications, Inc., Dubuque, IA, Chair of the Association’s Committee on Ownership Culture
• Steven D. Smith, Krieg DeVault LLP, Atlanta, GA, Chair of the Association’s Interdisciplinary Advisory Committee on Fiduciary Issues

David L. Kelly Elected Chair of The ESOP Association

Members Installed to Board Positions

David L. Kelly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc., located in Lafayette, LA, has been elected to serve as Chair of The ESOP Association. The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice in America for employee ownership.

Mr. Kelly is an active member of The ESOP Association and the Association’s Southwest Chapter. He has served on The ESOP Association’s Board as Vice Chair for the last two years. His term as Chair began May 1, 2013 and will continue until April 30, 2015.

“David has been active in the ESOP community and with the Association for many years,” said ESOP Association President, J. Michael Keeling. “His contributions have increased the effectiveness of Association services and we are excited David will be the Chief Elected Officer of the Association and the primary driver of the Association’s mission to advocate and educate for employee ownership.”

In addition to Mr. Kelly’s election to Chair, Cindy Turcot, Chief Operating Officer of Gardener’s Supply Company in Burlington, VT will become Vice Chair of the Association; David Fitz-Gerald, Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of Carris Reels, Inc. in Proctor, VT will become Secretary/Treasurer; Mark R. Lomele, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Recology in San Francisco, CA will become Immediate Past Chair. Joining the Association’s Board as At-Large Board Members representing corporate members: Andrew Kulesza, Chief Financial Officer of R.E. Kramig & Co., Inc. in Cincinnati, OH and J.L. Nichols, III, Chief Executive Officer of Nichols Foodservice, Inc., in Wallace, NC. Joining the Board as an At-Large Board Member representing a professional member: Susan D. Lenczewski, Counsel, Fafinski Mark & Johnson, P.A., in Eden Prairie, MN. Returning Board members: Chair of the Employee Ownership Foundation, Frieda S. Takaki, President/CEO of CHART Rehabilitation of Hawaii, Inc., Honolulu, HI; Chair of the State & Regional Chapter Council, Dan Marcue, Human Resource Director of Woodward Communications, Inc., Dubuque, IA; and Chair of the Advisory Committee’s Chairs Council, Kathryn Daly, Managing Director of Chartwell Capital Solutions, Portland, OR.

LIFE SERVICE AWARD

Frieda S. Takaki Receives Life Service Award from The ESOP Association

For her impressive contributions to the employee ownership community and her commitment to The ESOP Association, Frieda S. Takaki, President and CEO of CHART Rehabilitation of Hawaii, Inc. has been awarded The ESOP Association’s Life Service Award, the Association’s highest honor. The award was presented at the Association’s 36^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice on employee ownership in America.

Ms. Takaki is the current Chair of the Employee Ownership Foundation, The ESOP Association’s affiliated 501(c)(3) Foundation dedicated to promoting employee ownership. She is active in the Hawaii Chapter of The ESOP Association and has served on the Executive Committee’s State & Regional Chapter Council. From 2007 – 2009, Ms. Takaki served as Chair of The ESOP Association.

CHART Rehabilitation of Hawaii, Inc., located in Honolulu, HI, is a multi-disciplinary outpatient physical rehabilitation clinic and is one of the most innovative and comprehensive orthopedic rehabilitation centers in the country. CHART pioneered the active rehab concept in the state of Hawaii in 1979 specializing in work injury and auto accident patients. Ms. Takaki has been with CHART since 1983 and was promoted to President and CEO in 1989.

“Frieda has been active in the ESOP community for many years and is always enthusiastic about her work for the Foundation and the Association,” said President of Employee Ownership Foundation and The ESOP Association, J. Michael Keeling. “She is a dynamic leader who consistently goes above and beyond to advocate for ESOPs and employee ownership in America. Her leadership of the Employee Ownership Foundation has made both the Foundation and the Association better and I am proud to present her with this honor.”

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP FOUNDATION NEWS – KELSO FELLOWSHIPS

Louis O. Kelso Fellows Chosen by Rutgers University

Employee Ownership Foundation Provides Grant for Fellowship Program

The Employee Ownership Foundation, is proud to announce the recipients of the Louis O. Kelso Fellowships for 2013- 2014. The Louis O. Kelso Fellowships are awarded to scholars studying broadened ownership of capital in the U.S. The Fellowships are part of the national fellowship program on employee stock ownership of the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University. For additional information about the Kelso Fellowships and the SMLR, please visit: http://smlr.rutgers.edu/kelso-fellows.

“The Employee Ownership Foundation is pleased to once again sponsor the Louis O. Kelso Fellowships through the Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations,” said Employee Ownership Foundation Chair, Frieda S. Takaki. “We are proud to support this scholarly research on the impact of employee ownership on employees, their companies, the communities, and, yes, our country.”

Kyongji Han, Ph.D. candidate, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ and Assistant Professor (beginning September 2013), University of Minnesota Labovitz School of Business and Economics, Duluth, MN.

Research Question: How do individual workers respond to aspects of their Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and how does this response relate to team performance?

Molly Noble, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

Research Question: How do firms access financing in industries where employee ownership is prevalent and what is the role of the type of employee ownership arrangements in financing?

Stephen H. Wagner, Assistant Professor, Governors State University, University Park, MI. (Ph.D. in Organizational and Industrial Psychology from Northern Illinois University in 2000.)

Research Question: What are the effects of changes in the market value of ESOPs on the mental health of the worker owners?

Tricia McTague, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI. (Ph.D. in Sociology from North Carolina State University in 2010).

Research Question: What can we learn from the experience of workers in the seventy-five unionized ESOP Homeland Food Stores in Oklahoma and Texas about the relevance of employee ownership to unionized workers?

Tom Malleson, Lecturer, University of Toronto, Department of Political Science. Toronto, Canada. (Ph.D. in Political Theory from the University of Toronto in 2012)

Filed under: AACE - Annual Awards for Communications Excellence, Chapter News, Conference Information, Employee Ownership Month (EOM), Member Services, Silver ESOP Awards, TEA Members, 2013 AACE Award Winners, 2013 Annual Conference in Washington DC, 2013 ESOP Award Winners, 2013 Silver ESOP Award Recipients, Louis O. Kelso Fellowships