ESOP Foundation Blog

H.R. 5207, the ESOP Promotion and Improvement Act of 2010, Makes News

Last week, we told you about the new pro-ESOP legislation introduced by Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-LA-7) and Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND-ATL). You can read the press release sent out by The ESOP Association here. This week, we wanted to share a few links to articles that we thought might be of some interest. The Grand Forks Herald in Grand Forks, ND, ran a good article by Ryan Johnson titled - New bill helps employee-owned businesses, Pomeroy says. In...

Fortune Magazine’s 2010 List of 100 Best Companies to Work For Features Employee Owned Companies

Fortune Magazine’s recently released list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For named several employee-owned companies among the ranks – a number of which are members of The ESOP Association. Eight of the companies on the list are employee owned (highlighted names are ESOP Association members): Robert W. Baird & Co. W.L. Gore & Associates PCL Construction Enterprises Scooter Store TDIndustries QuikTrip Publix Super Markets Herman Miller The...

Open Book Management

On The New York Times website, there is an interesting discussion about Open Book Management on the Times’s You’re the Boss Blog. The post is written by Jack Stack, CEO of SRC Holdings in Springfield, MO. SRC Holdings is an ESOP and a member of The ESOP Association. The topic of open-book management comes up often in the ESOP world. Does your company open the books to employee owners?

Fortune Magazine’s 8 Great Companies to Retire From

Fortune Magazine profiled 8 companies that, in the midst of the downturn, are still offering more in terms of retirement than other companies. Among the companies on the list, 25% are members of The ESOP Association --- The Procter & Gamble Company and The Sherwin-Williams Company. In addition to the benefits these companies offer, they also have an ESOP as a significant benefit. To read the full story, click here.

CNNMoney.com Small Business Story – When Workers Take Charge

We wanted to share a link to this story on CNNMoney.com --- CNNMoney.com When workers take charge It's a unique model - the worker-owned business. Some say it sounds like socialism, but these six companies say it's helped them tough out the recession. http://tinyurl.com/n2jxns Featured in the article is the ESOP company Full Sail Brewing Co. located in Hood River, OR. Full Sail Brewing Co. is a member of The ESOP Association. Several other companies featured are...

Business News Network - June 15, 2009: Employee Ownership a Model for the Future?

On Tuesday, June 15, 2009, Business News Network (BNN), Canada’s only all business specialty channel, spoke to Levi Sampson, president, Harmac Pulp Mill; Dr. Joseph Blasi, professor, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University; and Michael Keeling, president of The ESOP Association on the benefits of employee ownership. To view the video, follow this link - http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/june-2009/headline-june-15-2009/#clip183272.

Chrysler and Employee Ownership?

For the first time since the economic challenges hit the world, official Washington is looking to employee ownership in a unique form at Chrysler and GM -- employees will have a stake in the company. This is good news and bad news. Good news in that it shows a psychological and philosophical acceptance of employee ownership in some form as the desired outcome under certain circumstances. Bad news in that it is not an ESOP. And, like many of the ownership schemes...

Wall Street Journal Story, Page 1 of Style & Homes Section, Blasts Company Stock

Before we get started, this is the link to the story if you would like to read it– The Wall Street Journal March 5, 2009 Despite Risks, Workers Guzzle Company Stock Participants in 401(k) Plans See Safety in Employer Shares; No Other Options for a Match http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123621372710035183.html#articleTabs%3Darticle First and foremost, the story is basically a huge diatribe against company stock but they are only looking at public companies in this...

Good ESOP News

We wanted to share with everyone the following link to an article on Axiom News which talks about the power of employee ownership. ESOP companies mark the Fortune 100 list There is power in ownership: Keeling Friday February 6, 2009 -- Camille Jensen http://www.axiomnews.ca/NewsArchives/2009/February/February06.html There is no better time than now to share your positive stories about the ESOP and its impact on your employee owners. With all the negative news about the...

Employee-Owned Companies Abound on Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 List for 2009

The ESOP Association sent out the following press release this morning and we wanted to share it on the blog as well. The recently released list of top 100 companies by Fortune magazine shows that employee owned companies in the U.S. are becoming more prominent. Approximately 14% of the companies on the 2009 list are employee owned. According to Fortune, a company has to be at least seven years old and have more than 1,000 U.S. employees to be eligible. Fortune conducts an...

Positive News to Share

We thought it would nice share a few positive ESOP articles with you. The website, Axiom News - http://www.axiomnews.ca/ - has several ESOP centered articles featured on the homepage of their website which also includes articles on ComSonics, Inc. in Harrisonburg, VA, King Arthur Flour Company in Norwich, VT, and Jackson’s Hardware in San Rafael, CA. With so much negative news these days about the economy, we thought it would be a good time to share news of this sort and to...

Nice News for a Change

After a week of negative news articles about ESOPs, we thought we would pass along a more positive piece that appeared in Axiom News, a news agency in Canada. Unlike most of the recent articles on ESOPs, this one is well balanced and shows employee ownership through an ESOP in a positive light. Does becoming an ESOP naturally promote better business practices? President of the ESOP Association shares his views on why the model can promote greater participation and productivity...

Change? Employee Ownership?

We wanted to share this article which is featured on Wired.com today – “Change.org Crowdsources An Agenda For Incoming Administration” - http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/changeorg-crowd.html. The article highlights a social networking website called change.org (http://www.change.org/) which, according to the article, is asking people to tell them what direction they think the country should go in and, under the economy heading, the idea of more employee owned...

The New York Times and ESOPs

There is a steady drumbeat arising from The New York Times against ESOPs and employee ownership. Take a look at this article from the Friday, August 29, 2008 edition - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/business/29fannie.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=coming%20home%20to%20roost&st=cse&oref=slogin. Bear Stears was first, then U.S. Sugar, and now Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are being highlighted as poster children for how bad an ESOP can be for a company. As a point of note...

The New York Times Article Continued

Below are a few of the letters to the editor that members of The ESOP Association shared with the Association. We know many people sent letters and we appreciate their efforts. Below is just sampling of what was shared with the Association. If you would like to read The New York Times article it can be found here - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/business/29sugar.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=us+sugar&st=nyt&oref=slogin. __________ Dear Editor: The...

The New York Times Attacks ESOPs

We bring your attention to a front page, long, very negative article on ESOPs in the May 29, 2008 edition of The New York Times, page 1, jump page A23, online -http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/business/29sugar.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin This story is potentially the most damaging we have seen for a very long time. ESOP Association President, J. Michael Keeling sent a letter the editor, which is posted below. The article states that “employees are being cheated...

Bear Stearns and Negative Media Coverage

Well, once again, Enron comparisons are running rampant. As you have probably heard, Bear Stearns, which is in the process of being acquired by JP Morgan Chase, had an ESOP. Bear Stearns' stock ownership among employees was no where near the level of Enron (estimates put the size of the ESOP around 3%), employees had much diversification in their primary retirement plan, a 401(k) plan, and the stock ownership was primarily among the top executives and senior executives. However,...

Friday, May 14, 2010

H.R. 5207, the ESOP Promotion and Improvement Act of 2010, Makes News

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Fortune Magazine’s 2010 List of 100 Best Companies to Work For Features Employee Owned Companies

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Open Book Management

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Fortune Magazine’s 8 Great Companies to Retire From

Friday, September 18, 2009

CNNMoney.com Small Business Story – When Workers Take Charge

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Business News Network - June 15, 2009: Employee Ownership a Model for the Future?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Chrysler and Employee Ownership?

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Wall Street Journal Story, Page 1 of Style & Homes Section, Blasts Company Stock

Monday, February 09, 2009

Good ESOP News

Monday, January 26, 2009

Employee-Owned Companies Abound on Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 List for 2009

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Positive News to Share

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Nice News for a Change

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Change? Employee Ownership?

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

The New York Times and ESOPs

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

The New York Times Article Continued

Friday, May 30, 2008

The New York Times Attacks ESOPs

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Bear Stearns and Negative Media Coverage

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