ESOPtober 2021: An employee ownership executive roundtable

Cedar Rapids ESOP executives share their perspectives on what makes ESOPs special, and why they're not just great for employees they re also good for business.

In September, The Gazette sat down with three executives of Cedar Rapids ESOP companies to discuss what it means to be employee-owned and the competitive advantage of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Those executives were Daniel Goldstein, president and CEO of Folience, which owns several companies including The Gazette, Cimarron Trailers and Life Line emergency vehicles; Nate Jensema, chief financial officer at Van Meter, a wholesale electrical supply distributor; and Michelle Jenkins, CEO of Rayser Holdings, whose brands include CarePro Health Services and Keltek. Their comments have been edited for style and length. A recording of this conversation can be found at TheGazette.com.