Thought Leadership

Celebrating our ESOP

We’re proud that 100% of our company belongs to our employees, meaning we not only share company success, but we also share in one another's. October is National Employee Ownership Month, and we're excited to celebrate another year of employee ownership.

This year as we celebrate ESOP month, we launched a campaign that coincides with our new purpose statement, Build the Extraordinary. This purpose extends beyond literal spaces; it represents our culture, community, and people. The ESOP plays a vital hand in allowing us to live out this purpose, and hopefully you will see how it positively impacts our company.

What is an ESOP?

An ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) is a vehicle by which employees can share in the ownership of the company. In addition to the 401k plan, the ESOP is a significant retirement benefit. Employee ownership creates such a strong identification between employee and company that it translates into enhanced productivity, greater employee retention, and, ultimately, success in the marketplace. Our employee owners receive shares of company stock in their ESOP accounts on an annual basis. 

Effects of Employee Ownership at MW Builders

Day in and day out, our teams demonstrate quality craftsmanship in their work, but their dedication to MW Builders goes beyond the duties of their jobs. Each teammate is committed to the success of their colleagues and celebrates those successes as their own, and the unity that has derived from our employee ownership has produced a family-like culture that we're lucky to experience.

We asked members of our team what employee ownership at MW Builders looks like to them, and the results only reinforce our confidence in our ESOP program and how it has affected our team: 

• The “train your replacement” mentality comes naturally as co-workers feel more like teammates and not competitors, and everyone roots for one another
• Each employee owner has an impact on the company’s success, so teammates hold each other accountable to do the right thing
• The open-door policy of our leaders gives power to your voice, and new ideas are encouraged and listened to
• The clear and consistent communication promoted companywide creates a stronger investment
• The connection to culture has created a sense that we're all a part of one family and has also created strong employee relationships

Although retirement may be farther in the future for some of our teammates, we can all still feel the impact of our ESOP every day as we walk onto jobsites, collaborate in meetings, and rally around each other.