ESS Companies Named Heart of America ESOP Company of the Year
As an ESOP company, ESS Companies (ESSC) and our operating brands, Emery Sapp & Sons, Achen-Gardner Construction, Rummel Construction, Monks Construction, ESCO Construction, and Premier Testing Laboratories, are honored to represent the power of 100% employee ownership. The ownership mindset of this powerhouse was recently awarded, as ESS Companies was named ESOP Company of the Year by the ESOP Association Heart of America Chapter.
This award recognizes an organization that shows a commitment to employee ownership through action. For ESSC, it means not just being an ESOP but having employee-owners who live out the ownership mindset every day.
The Ownership Mindset
Our people are not just employees. They’re owners. For us, ownership starts on day one when we learn about our ESOP and begin understanding how an ownership mindset translates to the work we do. Throughout the year, in challenges, education, and testimonials from fellow employee-owners, they see that the actions they take impact the entire organization.
In 2025, we gave them the tools for success. The Employee-Owner Hub is a platform built exclusively for our people, stacked with resources for them to take ownership of their health and wealth. It offers easy access to their personalized benefits elections, a custom ESOP calculator that shows their past account growth and future projections, and free access to third-party wealth advisors and employee assistance program.
Celebrating Ownership
Putting action into ownership is highlighted throughout the year, but especially in March and October.
Our annual Shareholder Week each March is the culmination of our ownership culture. All week long, employee-owners receive transparent updates from leadership across our companies. These updates highlight the information our people care about, including performance, backlog, financials, safety, etc. The week builds up to our Stock Price Reveal Parties, where employee-owners discover the stock price simultaneously across the country. The stock reveal shows them the impact of their hard work, and amp them up to crush it in the big year ahead.
Last October, Employee Ownership Month extended our engagement directly to the field. Leaders, Human Resources, and Benefits teams visited jobsites to provide an ownership mentality message and ESOP education to our employee-owners. In an industry that is on-the-go, in-person touchpoints are important and impactful, bringing insight, resources, and answers to the people who build our success.
Shared Success
“This award is a great reminder of what happens when we share an ownership mindset. This award belongs to the employee-owners who own it every day and prove that employee-owners deliver different,” said Amy Allen, ESSC chief administrative officer and general counsel.
Being named ESOP Company of the Year is an honor. Thank you to our employee-owners for making it possible.
