The ESOP Association Blog

Employee ownership blog – the blog of The ESOP Association

March 22, 2012 • 3:05 pm 1

Exiting a Business

We recently came across this blog post on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community blog:

4 Ways to Exit Your Business Gracefully by guest blogger Barbara Weltman

Take a look. ESOPs are mentioned.

Filed under: News Links, ,

January 20, 2012 • 11:26 am 0

ESOP Association Members Make Fortune’s List of the 100 Best Companies to Work For

Congratulations go out to five members of The ESOP Association that have been named to Fortune’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For:

Burns & McDonnell Engineers-Architects, Kansas City, MO

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Newark, DE

TDIndustries, Inc., Dallas, TX

Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lakeland, FL

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., Pullman, WA

“This is what ESOP companies do — they create great place to work. Congratulations to our members on the list,” said J. Michael Keeling, ESOP Association president. “An ESOP Association survey conducted in 2011 showed that 92.2% of survey respondents reported that creating employee ownership through an ESOP was ‘a good business decision that has helped the company.’ In addition, 72.9% of respondents indicated the ESOP positively affected the overall productivity of the employees. It would be a shame if the Congressional bipartisan support for our modest national policy encouraging employee ownership was not enhanced as Congress looks for a ‘common’ ground policy encouraging U.S. based jobs. Five percent of the companies on this list are wholly or partially owned through the ESOP which is an amazing figure considering that ESOP companies only make up about .0025 percent of all businesses in America.”

To view the complete list, click here and more information about the companies is here.

If you would like to know how the companies are chosen, go here.

Filed under: Economic Performance, Employee Ownership Message, Member Services, News Links, TEA Members, , ,

January 19, 2012 • 10:02 am 2

Iowa Governor Talks ESOPs

Last week, Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad, gave his annual State of the State speech. We won’t get into the specifics of the speech but if you’re interested, you can read the full speech here. It’s also posted here on the Iowa state website.

What we were surprised and happy to hear was this:

“We must work to keep Iowa companies in Iowa, even when an ownership change takes place.

This is not just a tool for Iowa businesses; it is a tool for Iowa communities–Iowa communities where these companies represent so much more than jobs; where these companies represent our families, friends and way of life.

Many of these companies have operated in Iowa for years, operated by owners committed to the local way of life.  And when these owners wish to retire, they must have options for keeping their company local.

I am proposing legislation that will encourage the formation of Employee Stock Option Plans to encourage the sale of these local businesses to the very employees who have made that company a profitable success.

Our plan will encourage more Iowans to own a stake in their company, to reap a greater share of the fruits of their own labor, and to help protect the quality of life in their local community.

Employee ownership is great for the Iowa communities in which these businesses, jobs, and careers exist.”

Yes, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is encouraging ESOP creation in the state.

Obviously, we here at The ESOP Association are pleased to see a proposal to encourage the creation of new ESOPs in Iowa, and to assist our existing companies, take root in Iowa. With 28 corporate members in the state, one of which we honored last year as the ESOP Company of the Year, Van Meter, Inc., we know what an ESOP brings to a company, to the company’s employees, and to the community where the company is located. We can only surmise that Governor Branstad understands that ESOP companies are more productive, more profitable, and more sustainable, providing locally-controlled jobs.

Filed under: Economic Performance, Employee Ownership Message, Government Affairs, News Links, , , ,

December 12, 2011 • 12:40 pm 0

Massachusetts AFL-CIO Supports Employee Ownership

In a statement delivered September 15, 2011 to the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce, Robert J. Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, noted that the group was in support of employee ownership. Massachusetts state bill, H.B. 2305, “An Act Relative to Job Creation Through Employee Ownership,” which was introduced in 2011 would require business owners to notify employees of eligibility to purchase a business prior to its sale.

In his statement Haynes said, “Broad based ownership by workers is a highly preferable form of business ownership that should be encouraged in our Commonwealth. By structuring themselves in this fashion, businesses are more likely to remain locally owned and controlled and can better share the rewards of ownership with the very workforce that makes the success of profits of the company possible.” You can read the full statement here.

“This statement is very significant,” said J. Michael Keeling, president of The ESOP Association. “Massachusetts, and in fact all of New England, are great supporters of employee ownership and we are delighted to see this statement by Mr. Haynes.”

Filed under: Economic Performance, Government Affairs, News Links, , ,

Welcome to the employee ownership blog of The ESOP Association.
The place where you'll find the latest information on ESOPs and employee ownership news.
Serving the entire ESOP community.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 21 other followers

Flickr Stream

2012 Annual Conference

More Photos
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.