More Top Small Workplaces Coverage/Employee Ownership Month

The ESOP Association recently published two relevant ESOP press releases:

Three ESOP Association Members Named 2007 Top Small Workplaces

"October 2, 2007 (Washington, DC) – Three members of The ESOP Association, Phelps County Bank of Rolla, MO, Reflexite of Avon, CT, and Restek Corporation of Bellefonte, PA have been named among the Top 15 Small Workplaces. This is the first annual list of the best small businesses in the U.S. which was compiled by The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces, a nonprofit group which provides consulting services to small businesses.

"It is pleasing to see three of the Association's member companies among the winners," said J. Michael Keeling, President of The ESOP Association. "Thirty years of research shows that employee owned companies are high performing, have high employee retention rates, and have workers that are more motivated and productive. The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces saw the obvious in these three companies, who are leaders in the ESOP community."

The winners were featured in a special small business section of The Wall Street Journal in print and online. To qualify, companies need to employ 500 or fewer individuals and have revenues of $200 million or less. The winners were chosen based on their success in creating a culture fostering professional growth opportunities, and unique benefits.

For more information about the Top Small Workplaces project, visit www.wsj.com/smallbusiness or www.winningworkplaces.com."

We previously discussed Reflexite in Combining Broad-Based Employee Ownership and Participation in the Management Process. Here are some other related links:

In the News: Benefits, Risks, and Challenges of Employee Ownership, Maintaining an Ownership Culture as the Company Grows

In the News: Top Small Workplaces, High Retention Rates, Thinking Entrepreneurially, and Feeling Empowered

In the News: The ESOP Option/Using an ESOP to Address the Keys to Survival for a Manufacturer

ESOP Community Celebrates Employee Ownership Month!

"WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This October, The ESOP Association and the employee ownership community will be celebrating

Employee Ownership Month, which is a tribute to the incredible spirit of employee ownership.

Employee Ownership Month is an opportunity for ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) companies across the U.S. to educate employee owners and the public about the tremendous benefits of employee stock ownership plans. Companies celebrate with picnics for employee owners, roundtable discussions with local public officials, and award ceremonies to honor outstanding employee owners.

"The recent Economic Performance Survey by the Employee Ownership Foundation shows that 89% of companies believe that ESOPs are good for business," said J. Michael Keeling, President of The ESOP Association.

"These numbers prove what we in the ESOP community have been saying every October for almost 20 years -- employee ownership creates better companies. I can't think of a better reason to celebrate than that."

Employee Ownership Facts:

-- There are approximately 10,000 - 11,000 ESOPs in place in the U.S., covering 10 million employees.

-- Total assets owned by U.S. ESOPs are estimated to be $600 million.

-- The Economic Performance Survey conducted by the Employee Ownership Foundation earlier this year found:

* 72% of ESOP companies indicated a better performance in 2006, relative to 2005

* 82% indicated that revenue increased in 2006

* In terms of profitability, 72% indicated that profitability did increase in 2006"

We previously discussed Employee Ownership Month here: Employee Ownership Month/Data Security Concerns