In honor of National Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Month, I’ve found myself reflecting on what it means for Keller to celebrate more than 40 years as an employee‑owned company. Forty years puts us in a rare and remarkable position. We’re considered a “mature ESOP,” which means we’ve experienced employee ownership through generations of employees, changing economies, leadership transitions and tremendous growth. And if those four decades have taught us one thing, it’s this: employee ownership is about far more than a retirement benefit.
Culture matters
The relationship people have with work has changed. Compensation, benefits and career opportunities still matter, but people also want to know their work has purpose, their contributions are valued and they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Employee ownership allows us to offer both the tangible and the meaningful.
Our employees build real financial value through the ESOP while holding a genuine stake in the company they help shape every day. That changes the way you think about work. How you manage a project, serve a customer, control a cost, solve a problem or support a coworker directly contributes to the success of a company you actually own. Over time, that creates a level of accountability, pride and connection that can’t simply be written into a mission statement. It has to be lived.
An impact beyond our walls
One of the greatest advantages of being a mature ESOP is perspective. Our employees watch coworkers who have spent decades building careers here retire with the financial benefits of employee ownership. At the same time, newer employee‑owners are beginning that same journey. There’s something powerful about that cycle.
Today’s employee‑owners benefit from the hard work and decisions of those who came before them. In turn, we carry a responsibility to leave the company stronger for those who come next. That mindset encourages us to think beyond the next project or next year. It creates a sense of stewardship for the future, a commitment to building something that lasts well beyond any one of us.
An impact beyond our walls
The benefits of employee ownership don’t stop with the individual employee. When an employee‑owned company succeeds, that success creates value for the people who built it. Those employees raise families, buy homes, support local businesses, volunteer and eventually retire in the communities where they live. For a company deeply rooted in Wisconsin, that matters. Our communities aren’t simply where we do business; they’re where our employee‑owners live.
Lessons from 40 years of ownership
Forty years of employee ownership have brought countless experiences, challenges, and successes. Along the way, a few important lessons have stood out:
- People want to be part of something. Compensation matters, but purpose, opportunity and belonging give people a real reason to stay.
- Ownership requires accountability. Sharing in success also means understanding how your decisions contribute to it.
- Think beyond yourself. The strongest companies are built when people want to leave something better for those who follow.
- Share the success. When the people creating value participate in that value, the impact reaches far beyond the workplace, into families and communities.
As we celebrate National ESOP Month, I’m grateful for the generations of employee‑owners who have shaped Keller into what it is today.
When people hold a meaningful stake in where they’re going, they become far more invested in how they get there, together.
About the Guest Author
Cory VandeWettering, President and CEO of Keller, Inc. and Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, a Keller Company
