Our ESOP Story Made the News: A Look Back with the St. Louis Business Journal
As we continue celebrating our Employee Stock Ownership Plan throughout October, we wanted to share a bit of outside recognition. The St. Louis Business Journal recently ran a feature covering the story behind our ESOP, and how it came to be.
According to the article, our ESOP launched that February, and employees immediately received company stock worth an average of more than $8,000 each, with the opportunity to earn more in the years ahead depending on how the company performs.
That immediate, tangible payoff is part of what made the plan feel real from day one. Employees were not just told they would eventually benefit down the road. They saw the value land in their accounts right away, with a clear, ongoing connection between the company’s performance and their own financial upside.
More Than a Financial Structure
The article also touched on something we talk about often internally: the ESOP was never just about solving an ownership succession problem. It became a genuine shift in how employees showed up to work every day.
Our CEO explained it well in the piece, noting that the plan does not just benefit employees financially. It is “changing their mindset,” giving people a real sense of investment in the company’s success rather than simply showing up for a paycheck.
That mindset shift is exactly what we hoped for when we built this plan, and it is exactly what we continue to see today.
We are grateful for the recognition from the St. Louis Business Journal, and even more grateful for a team that has fully embraced what it means to be employee owners.
