The ESOP Association Announces 2015 Silver ESOP Award Recipients

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - April 15, 2015) - The ESOP Association has presented 48 corporate members of the Association with a Silver ESOP Award to recognize their work in sustaining their ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) for 25 years or more. This year, the Silver ESOP Awards are being presented to companies that will be celebrating 25 years or more as an ESOP company in 2015.

This is the eighth year the Silver ESOP Awards have been presented by the Association. In 2008, 117 corporate members were presented with the first annual Silver ESOP Awards; 2009, 12 members; 2010, 22 members; 2011, 41 members; 2012, 49 members; 2013, 26 members; and in 2014, 45 members were honored. To be named a Silver ESOP Award recipient, a company must be a member of The ESOP Association and have an ESOP in place for 25 years or more. 

"It is my pleasure to present the following 48 ESOP companies with the 2015 Silver ESOP Award for excellence in sustaining their ESOP for 25 years," said ESOP Association President, J. Michael Keeling. "Research proves that employee owned companies provide more sustainable employment and preserve locally-controlled jobs in today's global economy. The 300 plus Silver ESOP companies who are members of the Association prove that employee stock ownership through the ESOP is not a short-term corporate model."

2015 Silver ESOP Award Recipients:

Acme Rigging & Supply Co., Inc., Ukiah, CA
Alpine Lumber Company, Westminster, CO
Ankrom Moisan Architects, Inc., Portland, OR
Aubrey Silvey Enterprises, Inc., Carrollton, GA
AVI Systems, Inc., Lenexa, KS
Barkley, Kansas City, MO
Cactus Feeders, Inc., Amarillo, TX
Carbo Forge, Inc., Fremont, OH
Cellusuede Products, Inc., Rockford, IL
Central Bag Company, Leavenworth, KS
Consulting Engineers Group, Inc., Mount Prospect, IL
CSR, Incorporated, Arlington, VA
Dealers Electrical Supply Co., Waco, TX
Dental Health Services, Inc., Long Beach, CA
Diamond Saw Works, Inc., Chaffee, NY
Dynetics, Inc., Huntsville, AL
ESOP of People's Bank and Trust Co., Byrdstown, TN
First State Bancorp of Monticello Inc., Monticello, IL
Hainje's, Inc., Brewton, AL
Hanson Group, Inc., Springfield, IL
Hoffman & Hoffman, Inc., Greensboro, NC
Hyspeco, Inc., Springfield, MO
ICM, Inc., Jacksonville, AR
Kapco Global, Brea, CA
Keenan Energy Company, Columbia, SC
Kleinfelder, Inc., Oakland, CA
Lesman Instrument Company, Bensenville, IL
Los Alamos National Bank, Los Alamos, NM
Lumbermen's, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI
Marco, Saint Cloud, MN
Market Contractors, LTD., Portland, OR
McCreary Bancshares, Inc., Whitley City, KY
McLean Contracting Company, Glen Burnie, MD
Moss Engineering Corp., Fort Wayne, IN
Olum's of Binghamton, Inc., Vestal, NY
Parksite Inc., Batavia, IL
Plastic Products Company, Inc., Lindstrom, MN
Rapid Line Inc., Grand Rapids, MI
Saginaw Bay Underwriters, Saginaw, MI
Spirol International Holding Company, Danielson, CT
TDIndustries, Inc., Dallas, TX
Tecolote Research, Inc., Goleta, CA
The Feingold Companies, Worcester, MA
The Plastic Forming Company, Inc., Woodbridge, CT
TriMark Corporation, New Hampton, IA
United States Sugar Corporation, Clewiston, FL
Watkins Ross & Company, Grand Rapids, MI
Your Building Centers, Inc., Altoona, PA

Over 300 Silver ESOP Award recipients will be honored at The ESOP Association's Annual Conference in May (May 7 - 8, 2015) and highlighted at the 24^th Annual Awards Ceremony held on the evening of May 6^th.

The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice in America for employee ownership. The core cause of The ESOP Association is the belief that employee ownership will improve American competitiveness, increase productivity through greater employee participation, and strengthen our free enterprise economy. More information: website -- www.esopassociation.org and blog -- www.esopassociationblog.org.