October marks the beginning of crisp mornings, changing leaves and pumpkin-spice everything. But here at Hirons, October marks something even more special — National Employee Ownership Month.
A 2021 study by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) found that ESOP participants have about twice the value in their ESOP accounts as their counterparts have in their 401(k) accounts. Furthermore, nearly 100% of the total contributions to ESOP accounts came from the employer compared to only about 31% for 401(k) accounts.
When founder Tom Hirons set out to transition Hirons to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), it wasn’t simply a financial decision. It was a way to make sure the company’s future belonged to all employee-owners.
In 2010, Tom sold 30% of his ownership shares to establish our ESOP, and by 2018, Hirons was 100% employee-owned.
For our employee-owners, ownership isn’t just about shares or numbers. It’s about how each of us shows up every day: helping control expenses, contributing to a supportive work environment, and meeting — and exceeding — client expectations.
We asked a few of our teammates what being an employee-owner means to them.
Deana Haworth, Chief Executive Officer
Deana played a central role in transitioning Hirons to an ESOP. Today, Deana shares her expertise in leveraging employee-ownership and educates other ESOPs about key strategies to cultivate an ownership culture. She presented at the Indiana Chapter of The ESOP Association’s (TEA) Spring Conference in 2023, the National Center for Employee Ownership’s Annual Employee Ownership Conference in 2023, and the NCEO Forum in 2024. In 2023, Deana accepted an ACCE Award on behalf of Hirons from TEA. Earlier this year, Deana presented at NCEO’s EO Month Community Conversation and at TEA’s Great Lakes’ Regional Conference.
“Hirons began in 1978 as a small, founder-led team, and we’ve managed to keep that small-business spirit through all the changes the firm has seen over nearly 50 years. I attribute a big part of that to our decision to become an employee-owned company through an ESOP. After all, what better way to create a sense of individual ownership of the final product among team members than to give them a genuine ownership stake in the success of the product?”
Emily Hayden, Director of Media Operations
Celebrating a decade with Hirons this November, Emily has witnessed firsthand how employee-ownership shapes our culture and commitment. As a member of our ESOP communications committee, she has played an active role in cultivating ownership.
“When I joined Hirons, I came from almost a decade working for a global agency where I was just a replaceable cog in the machine. Because we are employee-owned, the specific skills and interests I bring to the table have been encouraged and developed at Hirons from the time I first interviewed until now, a decade later. Hirons helped me earn my MBA, and I’ve been able to shift roles in the agency multiple times through the years so that what makes me special can truly contribute to what makes Hirons better. The attitude of everyone being open to and accountable for continually improving is the magic of employee-ownership, and it has been so rewarding to have a company that has been right alongside me in crafting the trajectory of my career as we build the future of the organization together.”
Tyler Riordan, Media Director, Senior Analytics Consultant
After spending several years with Hirons, Tyler stepped into a new role and returned with a fresh perspective and renewed appreciation for our ownership culture and what it means to be part of an employee-owned company. As a boomerang Hirons employee, he shares:
“I’ve had the privilege to see the impact the ESOP has had on the company over time, as I was lucky enough to be an employee when the ESOP was announced. The shift from then to now in my ownership mindset and pride in our work is considerable. In addition, seeing those who I worked with early in my career starting to receive their ESOP stock payouts in retirement has motivated me to continue to do great work and have fun doing it, so I can bear the fruits of our hard work just like them.”
When you work with #TeamHirons, you’re partnering with a team of owners — people personally invested in delivering results.
Ready to experience the difference working with an employee-owned company makes? Contact us.
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