My favorite month has come and gone: October, the official month to celebrate employee ownership here at Douglas Machine. Last month, our team commemorated the 18th year of its ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). As a company, we take great pride in demonstrating Ownership Spirit in everything we do, including celebrating our history and progress. And this year, we mixed things up with a handful of exciting new activities, as well as a few returning favorites…
For over 50 years, Douglas Machine has led the way in secondary packaging solutions. Douglas case & tray packers, shrink wrap systems, cartoners and robotic palletizers help Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers across the country maximize efficiency, productivity and safety. Our unwavering integrity and commitment to innovation have earned us the opportunity to work with some of the best brands in the country. But it takes more than hard work and creative problem-solving to thrive in the business world; you also need a clear vision to guide employees and the company at large.
The Benefits Employee Ownership
It’s no secret that ESOPs bring major benefits to businesses — ranging from attracting new employees to increasing organizational performance. In fact, according to a recent economic survey from the Employee Ownership Foundation, 76% of respondents said that the ESOP positively affected the overall productivity of employees and 70.5% reported an increase in profitability from previous years. That’s because ESOPs align incentives, providing meaningful returns for employee owners. After all, it’s much easier to justify hard work when it’s directly contributing to your own success!
Thanks to the Douglas ESOP, every employee owner benefits directly from our company’s growth. This approach ensures that employee goals align with company goals, maximizing business performance and providing a more rewarding work experience for our team members. The result? Stronger work ethic, better retention and more opportunities to celebrate!
Douglas Machine Celebrates Employee Ownership
We were thrilled to celebrate another year of employee ownership last month through a range of fun activities. Our goal was to create events that every member would be able to participate in. And I’m happy to announce that this year’s ESOP University Treasure Hunt (an online event that even our newest IPM employee owners could enjoy) was very popular among the team.Douglas also raised funds for the Miracle Horse Riders last month. This organization is based in Long Prairie, MN and has been providing equine-assisted therapies to people with special needs since 1998. After gathering enough donations, we purchased a cart that could be pulled by the driving team and used by participants unable to ride the actual horses. We were honored to support the Miracle Horse Riders in their mission to enrich lives and provide for those with pressing physical, mental and emotional needs.
These were just a few of the wonderful events we hosted this year to celebrate our employee ownership. Other popular activities included the Wildlife Expo, Chipping Contest, Werner Lunch and Bean Bag Toss. We were also given the opportunity to enjoy a Lunch ‘n Learn session with our Vice President and CFO Tom Wosepka, titled “What’s in It for Me?”
Thanks to everyone who participated in the fun this October! We’d also like to thank the wonderful members of our EOC Committee, who helped organize this year’s events.
The EOC Committee:- Julie Rubner
- Dan Miller
- Richard Scott
- Tom Wosepka
- Mark Wicklund
- Brad Yerkes
- Devin Middendorf
- Ray Frazee
- Andy Radermacher
- Carol Weossner
- Hannah Daniels
- Kirby Chermak
- Andy Olerud (not pictured)
Contact Douglas Machine Today
If you’d like to learn more about the Douglas Machine team or our wide variety of secondary packaging solutions, then be sure to reach out to us. You can also contact us to chat about the many benefits of employee ownership and how it drives Douglas forward. We’d love to hear from you.