What is ESOP?

An Employee Stock Ownership Plan or ESOP is a way for employees to become part owners in the company they work for. Each year our employee owners receive shares of MSI stock in their ESOP account, based on their compensation and length of company service. The 401(k) match is also given in the form of shares of MSI stock. The benefit each employee ultimately receives from the ESOP depends both on the company's success and on each employee's length of employment with MSI. Our four year vesting schedule is designed to reward long-term company employment.

Why Have an ESOP?

MSI believes those who contribute their energies to the company should benefit directly from its success. Our "employee ownership plan" is designed to:

Demonstrate MSI's long-term commitment to our employees;
Motivate our employees to help the company and each other;
Enable our team-oriented, non-competitive corporate culture;
Provide potentially significant long-term savings for retirement;
Encourage employee retention;
Enable new employee recruiting.

The ESOP creates a direct link between company interests and employee interests. To support our employee owners making the right decisions, MSI practices "open books management". This practice is used to inform and educate our employees about the company's financial status, the impact of their performance, and our future plans. Our consensus-seeking culture encourages open discussions of questions and issues facing our employees and the company. Our management team is always available to our employees if they need assistance with any issue.

How Much Does It Cost?

ITS FREE! Unlike many of the ESOP's you may be familiar with, at Miklos the ESOP has no direct cost to the employee and all MSI employees are eligible to participate. This allows everyone to share in the growth of our company, to gain a beneficial interest in the stock of our company, and to accumulate funds for retirement.

What do Current Employees Think?

So you may be thinking "that sounds great, but does anyone actually like being a member of an ESOP?" Read what some current employees had to say:

As an employee owner, we are not only invested in the success and achievements of ourselves but also the success and achievements of our coworkers. Without the success of "we", there is no success for "me".
I feel a camaraderie... definitely different from other places I've worked.
Being a part-owner, especially in a company with a flat corporate structure, means I always trust my coworkers to put in 100% and do what is in the company's best interest.
MSI's ESOP is set up to also value the contribution of part-timers. An employee-owner does not have to work many, many hours in a year to be able to contribute.
The company feels like more of a cohesive team, even though we work at different sites for different customers

We note that our plan is a tax qualified benefit plan and any growth in its value is tax-deferred until retirement.

For more information please visit the ESOP Association's website