ESOP Association Awards

Awards

Our awards honor the people and companies that make us all proud to be part of the ESOP community! Pick an award category to learn more.

AACE Program

The Annual Awards for Communication Excellence (AACE) competition identifies companies that excel at communicating with employee owners and the larger community.

Award categories include: Video, Printed Materials, Intranet, Employee Ownership Marketing, One Special Event, Series of Special Events, and Total Communications.

In the first quarter of each year, a panel of five judges—representing the diverse segments of our membership—gathers for two days to evaluate AACE entries. Their selections for Winners and Runners Up in each category are announced in May at a special awards banquet that kicks off The ESOP Association's Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

View Past Winners Apply

ESOP Luminaries

The ESOP Company of the Year and Employee Owner of the Year are selected annually from winners at our 18 chapters and exemplify the spirit and practice of employee ownership.

Winners of The ESOP Company of the Year excel at engaging their employee owners and educating them about their ESOP and company culture. They also excel at engaging their elected officials, to ensure continued support for ESOPs, and are active in their local chapter.

Winners of the Employee Owner of the Year demonstrate passion and commitment to sharing information and insights about ESOPs with their fellow employee owners, colleagues in other ESOP companies, fellow chapter members, and the public.

ESOP Companies of the Year Employee Owners of the Year

Service Awards

At its discretion, The Association's awards committee may present awards to deserving individuals in these two categories:

Silver ESOPs

The Silver ESOP Award recognizes corporate members of The ESOP Association that have celebrated 25 years of ESOP operation. ESOPs once were considered a flash in the pan, but the 459 companies that hold the Silver ESOP Award provide concrete evidence that ESOPs are stable and resilient.

Membership Awards

Our members and chapters do great work all year long. And to honor the very best, The ESOP Association hands out these membership related awards.

ESOP Chapter Awards

In addition to national awards, most of The Association's 18 chapters also present honors. Winners in many of these categories—including the Employee Owner of the Year and ESOP Company of the Year—become nominees for the national award.

See the award-winning people and companies at ESOP Association chapters by clicking below.

Select Chapter For Awards
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