Courtesy / HAYS POST
The parent company of the North Platte Post, Eagle Communications, has been recognized as the 2013 Heart of America “ESOP Company of the Year.” The Heart of America ESOP Association presents this award annually to a company that embodies employee-ownership.
“We are honored to have received this award and to join the companies that have laid the foundation for what it means to be Company of the Year,” said Eagle Communications President and CEO Gary Shorman. “We were recognized for our internal and external promotion of ESOPs; the various ways we educate, share and participate in the ESOP throughout the year and our continuous involvement to stay connected in the communities we serve.”
Shorman also added, “An ESOP is better than just being a part of a team. It is being a part of a team that shares in the long-term growth and prosperity of a company. We have to work smart, hard, and fast, but the rewards of ownership are great. Having ownership in our company is the foundation for quality products and great customer service. We won this award because we have terrific employee-owners who work hard every day to provide great products for our listeners, viewers, and customers while providing the best customer service anywhere.”
An ESOP, or Employee Stock Ownership Plan, is designed so that each eligible employee shares in the ownership of a company. Each year, Eagle Communications allocates a percentage of its profits to the employee-owners, similar to a profit- sharing plan.
“For Eagle employees, this translates into owning a piece of the company as stock is transferred to each eligible employee in the ESOP program,” said Shorman. “Our company is valued each year based on our performance and since the inception of the ESOP, the value of Eagle’s stock has steadily increased.”
“The ESOP Company of the Year” recognizes a commitment to employee ownership as evidenced by involvement with the ESOP Association and its program, communication with employees, and commitment to the vision of The ESOP Association. That commitment endorses employee participation, wealth creation, and individual dignity and worth and an overall feeling of ownership by employees.
Eagle Communications, Inc. is a Kansas-based Broadband Services and Media Company with over 250 employee-owners. The company operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri as well as cable TV systems in 30 Kansas and Colorado communities. The company also offers e-business solutions, web hosting, telephone service, high-speed Internet, and wireless Internet in most service areas. For more information, log on to http://www.eaglecom.net.