The ESOP Association Honors Members for Excellence in Employee Ownership Communications

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ESOP Association is pleased to announce the 2014 winners of the Annual Awards for Communications Excellence (AACE). The AACE Awards are sponsored each year by the Association to recognize the outstanding communications and educational programs of its members. The awards were presented at the Association's 37^th Annual Conference in Washington, DC to companies who have excelled in communicating the ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) and its meaning to employee owners.

AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOPs and employee ownership communications. Awards are based on: overall quality and quantity of employee owner education, contributions of employee owners, integration of the ESOP into company culture, frequency of ownership communications, involvement and/or response of employee owners, encouragement of ownership attitudes, clear explanations, creative ideas, graphic design, and technical quality.

The 2014 AACE Award winners are:

Total Communications Program, 250 or Fewer Employees
Winner: PERRY proTECH, Lima, Ohio
Runner Up: Salem Distributing Company, Inc., Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Total Communications Program, Over 250 Employees
Winner: Van Meter Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Runner Up: Recology, San Francisco, California

Video, 250 or Fewer Employees
Winner: Engineering America, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota

Video, Over 250 Employees
Winner: Austin Industries, Inc., Dallas, Texas
Runner Up: The Haskell Company, Jacksonville, Florida

Printed Materials, 250 or Fewer Employees
Winner: Mid South Building Supply, Inc., Springfield, Virginia
Runner Up: PERRY proTECH, Lima, Ohio

Printed Materials, Over 250 Employees
Winner: Eagle Communications, Inc., Hays, Kansas
Runner Up: Van Meter Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa    

Intranet, Over 250 Employees
Winner: Recology, San Francisco, California
Runner Up: Maine Drilling & Blasting, Inc., Gardiner, Maine

ESOP Advertising, Ownership Marketing – General
Winner: Carris Reels, Inc., Proctor, Vermont
Runner Up: Van Meter Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa

ESOP Advertising, Ownership Marketing – Website
Winner: Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, Missouri
Runner Up: Van Meter Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Special Events & Promotions, 1 Outstanding Event, 250 or Fewer Employees
Winner: Wiley|Wilson, Lynchburg, Virginia
Runner Up: Priority Sign, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Special Events & Promotions, 1 Outstanding Event, Over 250 Employees
Winner: Douglas Machine Inc., Alexandria, Minnesota
Runner Up: CarePro Health Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Special Events & Promotions, Series, 250 or Fewer Employees
Winner: Adworkshop, Inc., Lake Placid, New York
Runner Up: Mid South Building Supply, Inc., Springfield, Virginia

Special Events & Promotions, Series, Over 250 Employees     
Winner: Entertainment Partners, Burbank, California
Runner Up: Apache Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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.

SOURCE The ESOP Association