The ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Association’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter has named Wiley|Wilson its 2020 Employee-Owned Company of the Year. This award recognizes the company for its outstanding efforts in promoting employee-ownership and celebrating the firm’s ownership culture.

“We are honored that the Mid-Atlantic Chapter has selected Wiley|Wilson for this award and excited that our efforts toward building an exceptional ownership atmosphere are recognized and rewarded,” said Fred Armstrong, Wiley|Wilson Chairman and CEO.

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter cited many of the company’s ownership-focused activities and events for its reason in selecting Wiley|Wilson for the award. Members of the ESOP Ownership Committee — an internal committee whose objective is to educate employee-owners about the ESOP and cultivate the ownership culture — plan events throughout the year. The signature activity is the annual ownership retreat, Ownerfest, held each October. Additionally, employee-owners are active in ESOP Association activities and support its work to raise awareness about the benefits of ESOPs nationwide.

“All of the companies in the Mid-Atlantic Chapter do an excellent job of promoting ownership and ESOPs, so winning among such a talented group of members gives the award extra meaning for us this year,” said Mike Ervi, who serves as Chair of the ESOP Ownership Committee.

Wiley|Wilson became 100-percent employee-owned in 2004. It has won Mid-Atlantic Chapter Employee-Owned Company of the Year twice before and two employee-owners have been Mid-Atlantic Chapter Employee-Owners of the Year (Connie Burnette and Carol Moore). As the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Employee-Owned Company of the Year winner, the firm is now eligible to be the ESOP Association’s National Company of the Year, an award that will be announced at the beginning of May.