This article discusses the success story of a one-year ESOP company, Cal-Tex Protective Coatings Inc., which immediately started focusing on building an ownership culture.  They were the 2007 Grand Prize Winner of The Innovations in Employee Ownership Award:

“The 80 employee owners of Cal-Tex make aftermarket products including paint, fabric and leather sealants for automobile dealers, but their most impressive accomplishment is showing how much a small visionary company can accomplish. Rather than an aspiration, the Cal-Tex statement of values and purpose actually do permeate the internal company culture and relations with customers. One of the company's core values is humility, which management exemplifies by shifting an astounding level of decision making to the work force. Aided by intensive daily sharing of financial data, employees set their own production goals in accord with the company's quarterly goals. Those who meet their goals gradually achieve the status of Certified Employee Owner (CEO), a status that gives them the right to attend company planning sessions regardless of their job titles. The judges wrote "this company's employee owners engage themselves in their company's success profoundly and personally-the level of creativity, connection and exuberance at Cal-Tex amazed us."”