Company
employees currently own 30% of the shares of Osborne Industries,
Inc. The shares are held in an employee owned trust known as the
Employee Ownership Plan (ESOP) and Trust. The primary purpose of
the ESOP is to provide retirement benefits to the employees through
ownership of the company for which they work and to provide a market for
shares held by regular stockholders as well as shares held by retired
employee-stockholders. Each year, eligible employees receive a
pro-rata portion of the shares contributed to the Trust by the Company
and accumulate individual ownership within the Trust. At the end
of each fiscal year, an independent business appraiser establishes the
current value of ownership shares and consequently the value of each
employee-stockholder's holdings. An employee who retires or
terminates employment with the Company may retain their vested shares or
sell them to the Company or sell them back to the ESOP at the latest
appraised value.
"One
of the main reasons for starting the company (Osborne Industries) over
30 years ago was to create employment opportunities in the Osborne
area communities. The ESOP is a way to help ensure that this company
stays within our small community and continues to provide employment
opportunities for years to come. That was a goal 30 years ago and
it remains a goal today.
- Stan
Thibault, President
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