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The Employee Ownership Action Network (EOAN) is a free-to-join, grassroots advocacy movement for anyone with a stake in ensuring employee ownership continues to grow and thrive in the US.
Does that sound like you?
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What Our Members Have to Say
“Membership in The ESOP Association is vital to an ESOP owned company. The advocacy and education services are invaluable and are not duplicated by any other organization.”
-David Kelly, CFO at Acadian Ambulance Service Inc.
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The Employee Owned Conference, attended annually by more than 2,000 employee-owners, thought leaders, and professional advisors, is the largest ESOP conference in the world.
Upcoming events
- Resources
The #EO Solution
The ESOP Association and Project Equity have partnered to create state -by-state data that amplifies employee ownership as a common sense way to preserve businesses, strengthen jobs and build a more resilient post-pandemic economy.
ESOP Association Resources
Forming an ESOP - A New Video Series on Business Succession Planning
Hear from ESOP companies in multiple different industries, and their seasoned advisors, about what an ESOP is and if it’s right for you.
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- About TEA
What is an ESOP?
An ESOP is a retirement plan—but also a way of living and running a company. For insights on both technical and cultural aspects of these plans—which provide benefits to employee owners, the company, the community, and exiting owners—and links to additional resources, see our web page titled What is an ESOP?
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The ESOP Association
ESOP Association Resources
Mar. 14
Washington, DC, March 14, 2022 - The ESOP Association and American Benefits Council jointly filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in support of the belief that ESOP plans need, and have, the ability to require individual arbitration to resolve individual participant disputes. A previous District Court ruling has the potential to eliminate individual arbitration, which would dramatically increase the litigation costs for companies with employee defined-contribution retirement plans, such as ESOPs and 401(k)s.
Mar. 01
Des Moines Iowa, March 1, 2022 –Today Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds returned to Library Binding Services (LBS Inc.), a 100% employee-owned business, to sign into law legislation to eliminate state taxes on retirement income, including taxes on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) distributions. This important change has the power to motivate more Iowa business owners to sell their businesses to their employees as a business succession plan.
Jul. 21
Ted Becker Wins Lifetime Service Award
Washington, DC, July 19, 2021 – Theodore “Ted” Becker, Partner at McDermott Will & Emery in Chicago, has been awarded the ESOP community’s highest honor, The 2021 Lifetime Service Award. The Lifetime Service Award honors individuals who have made a significant, long-term contribution to employee ownership and the ESOP community.
Washington, DC, July 19, 2021 – Theodore “Ted” Becker, Partner at McDermott Will & Emery in Chicago, has been awarded the ESOP community’s highest honor, The 2021 Lifetime Service Award. The Lifetime Service Award honors individuals who have made a significant, long-term contribution to employee ownership and the ESOP community.
Jul. 02
Washington, DC, June 21, 2021 - Jessica Molnar, Intern Architect at Wiley|Wilson, based in Lynchburg, VA has been named The ESOP Association’s 2021 Employee Owner of the Year. This award recognizes a non-management employee owner who provides a positive influence in the company and participates in the company’s employee ownership activities and the activities of The ESOP Association (TEA). It is one of the highest honors that TEA bestows.
Jul. 02
Washington, DC, June 21, 2021 - Recology, a resource recovery ESOP company based in San Francisco, CA, has won The ESOP Association’s highest corporate honor—the ESOP Company of the Year Award. The award honors a company that actively participates in the employee ownership community and that demonstrates a dedication to The ESOP Association’s vision of employee participation, wealth creation, and individual dignity and worth.
Oct. 26
In the midst of the pandemic, companies that are owned by their employees are dramatically outperforming other firms in such key areas as securing employees’ jobs, and maintaining work hours, salary, and workplace health and safety.
Read the key findings >
Read the key findings >