Herff Jones Celebrates ESOP Week

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Herff Jones, a dynamic and growing platform that creates a culture of achievement through graduation and school products, cheerleading programs and sporting goods, today announced highlights from the Company's celebration of Employee Ownership Month throughout the month of October.  Herff Jones employees gathered to celebrate the tremendous spirit of employee ownership and hear updates from senior management concerning the dynamic changes over the past two years.  These changes have transformed the Company into a diversified "K-through-College" sales force with more than 1,000 sales professionals dedicated to providing products and services to the school and institutional markets. Revenues from the combined companies are expected to exceed $1 billion annually.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131002/CL90819LOGO )

Mr. Jeff Webb, Herff Jones' CEO, commented, "I am delighted to celebrate the power of employee ownership with all of our employees.  As the enterprise stands today, we occupy a unique niche in the school and institutional market with three great companies, BSN SPORTS, Herff Jones, and Varsity.  Together, they create one highly diversified and successful entity with a compelling value proposition for our customers and our employee-owners."

Herff Jones' growth over the past two years includes the June 2011 merger with Varsity, a driving force in making cheerleading the dynamic, athletic, high profile activity it is today, followed by the May 2013 merger with BSN SPORTS, the largest direct distributor of sports apparel and sporting goods to the institutional market. 

Employee Ownership Month is an opportunity for the 10,000 ESOP companies across the nation to educate employee owners, the public, and government officials about the undeniable benefits of employee ownership for employees, their companies, the communities they are a part of, and the nation. Herff Jones is the 17^th largest ESOP company in the country.

About Herff Jones

Herff Jones is the leading provider of graduation, achievement and educational products including class rings and jewelry, yearbooks, motivation and recognition tools, and educational products, as well as sports uniforms and equipment, and cheerleading training camps, competitions and uniforms. The company provides guidance, support and quality products to elementary and middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities, church organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams, and corporations. Founded nearly 100 years ago, Herff Jones is an employee-owned organization focused on building long-term relationships through a nationwide network of over 1,000 trusted, expert sales and service representatives.

Contact:  
Jonathan Morgan 
Perry Street Communications  
214-965-9955  

SOURCE Herff Jones