TEA National 2025 Conference
Registration Open!
With concurrent sessions offering continuing education credits, and lots of networking/social opportunities, Washington DC is the place to be in May!
CFO Summit 2025
The ESOP Association is proudly convening the inaugural CFO Summit, bringing together ESOP financial leaders to explore the latest trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the current business landscape.
Annual Awards for Communications Excellence
The AACE Competition identifies companies that excel at communicating with employee owners and the larger community about ESOPs. Apply for the AACE and EOM Poster Competitions today.
CEO Summit 2025
This gathering of ESOP Presidents and CEOs offers a one-of-a-kind platform for peer learning, allowing participants to glean valuable strategies from others grappling with similar challenges.
What is an ESOP?
In the simplest terms, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a retirement plan where the ownership of the company is held in trust for the benefit of the employees of the company. The Trust buys the company on behalf of the employees and uses the profits of the company to pay off the loan used in the purchase. This means the employees don’t pay out of their wages or income, but gain ownership as a result of their work. Because of this, an ESOP is much more than a retirement plan.
We are the largest employee ownership advocacy organization in the world
For over 43 years, The ESOP Association has successfully represented the interests of millions of Employee Owners and their companies in Washington, DC and state capitols across the nation. The ability to form and operate an Employee Stock Ownership Plan is fundamentally rooted in the laws that were passed to allow their existence. The ESOP Association’s Advocacy on public policy remains one of the most important services provided by the Association to our members.
During the last four decades, The ESOP Association has been called upon to promote new ideas that would make Employee Ownership more accessible and to protect the tax laws that make employee ownership financially and structurally feasible. You can learn more about this important history of success, and become part of that movement yourself, in our Advocacy section.
Find Your Chapter of The ESOP Association
- Click a chapter on the map to the left to load details!
UPCOMING ESOP ASSOCIATION EVENTS
May 22, 2025 8:30 am EDT
Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter - 2025 ESOP OnSite
Jun 03, 2025 4:30 pm CDT
Iowa/Nebraska Chapter - 2025 Books and Beer Event
Jun 05, 2025 7:30 am CDT
Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter - 2025 Women in ESOP: AI and Beyond!
Insights for every employee owner
The ESOP Association Applauds Introduction of New Bipartisan Legislation to Grow Employee Ownership in America
Employee Equity Investment Act Would Expand Employee Ownership by Increasing Critical Access to Capital for ESOPs
Washington, D.C. – The ESOP Association today praised the introduction of the bipartisan Employee Equity Investment Act (EEIA) in the House and Senate.
ESOPs, Employee Ownership Score Major Victories in Congress
Congressional negotiators early this morning released the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 which includes numerous top priority provisions sought by The ESOP Association on behalf of its membership.
The ESOP Association Statement on the Passing of Gardener’s Supply Company Founder Will Raap
The ESOP Association released the following statement on the unexpected passing of Will Raap, a visionary leader in employee ownership, organic gardening, and locally sourced and sustainable food.
Pro-ESOP Retirement Legislation In Final Stages
The ESOP Association has been working with Congress during this congressional session on bipartisan retirement security legislation. That important legislation – which includes provisions that affect every ESOP and employee ownership in general – is being considered in the final days of the current Congress. If this bill, which was p
SOMETHING FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE OWNER
National Meetings
Gather with fellow employee owners, ESOP company executives, and professional service providers from across the country at one of our national meetings.
Chapter Membership
Join TEA and you are automatically enrolled in your state or regional chapter. Network with your peers and get great educational content at local chapter meetings.
Digital Networking
Our online communities are your one-stop-shop for connecting with your peers and quickly getting answers to your most pressing questions.
ESOP Advocacy
Receive materials, training, and tools to help you connect with your legislators and make a powerful impression.
Resources
Read our newsletter, the ESOP Report, or check out the ESOP Blog. See or latest survey data or get invaluable introductions to key ESOP concepts in our ESOP Briefs.
Awards
Learn from the outstanding companies, owners, and industry professionals through TEA’s array of awards programs.
Business Solutions for ESOPs
As an ESOP Association member, you get exclusive access to a suite of insurance programs designed to provide high quality service while putting money back in your pockets! Why pay too much to an insurer when you can keep that money for your employee owners' ESOP accounts?
We can offer group captive health insurance, workers' comp insurance, and a host of business insurance products—including cyber liability, fiduciary liability, D&O, crime, and employment practices liability.
To see all of the options available to you as a TEA member, just click the button below.