NewsVGM Group Named Employee Owned Company Of The Year By Iowa/Nebraska Chapter Of The ESOP Association

VGM Group, Inc. has been named Employee Owned Company Of The Year by the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter of The ESOP Association (TEA). The award was presented on Feb. 27. And as the recipient, VGM Group is now in the running for the National Employee Owned Company Of The Year Award, which will be announced during TEA’s National Conference May 13–16 in Washington, D.C.

The Employee Owned Company Of The Year Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the community of employee-owned companies. All members of TEA are invited to submit nominations, and the winners are selected by a group of impartial chapter members.

"This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of every single employee owner at VGM," said Jeremy Stolz, CEO of VGM Group, Employee Owner Since 2003. "As a 100% employee-owned company, our culture of ownership goes beyond the financial benefits. It’s about creating a place where everyone is empowered to make a difference—and a place where they feel they belong."

The award presentation highlighted VGM’s dedication to ensuring its employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is nothing short of life-changing for its employee owners—both for their financial future, as well as their overall quality of life. It also recognized VGM as a true role model for employee-owned companies everywhere, noting its leadership and commitment to fostering an ownership culture at every level of the company.

"Our education and engagement programs have really brought the ownership experience to life for our employee owners," said Megan Chris, Billing Supervisor in VGM HOMELINK and Co-chair of the Employee Ownership Ambassadors, Employee Owner Since 2016. "A big part of that has been our involvement with TEA. It’s been incredible getting to learn from other employee-owned companies and share what we’re doing at VGM."

An ESOP is a specialized retirement plan. VGM first created its ESOP in 2005 and has been 100% employee owned since 2008. Each year, VGM makes a contribution to its employee owners’ ESOP accounts, which includes a combination of cash and company stock. According to the NCEO (National Center For Employee Ownership), the average ESOP account balance is more than double the average 401(k) account balance at closely matched non-ESOP companies. And many employee-owned companies, like VGM, offer a 401(k) plan alongside their ESOP.

To learn more about VGM Group and its employee ownership culture, visit vgmgroup.com.

  ### 

About VGM Group, Inc.  

Headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa, VGM is a 100% employee-owned company providing business and professional services to thousands of business customers across North America. Services include group purchasing, commercial insurance, management of healthcare services and networks in post-acute cases, healthcare distribution direct to patient homes, specialty consulting, online education, digital, print, and traditional marketing and more. VGM employs approximately 1,600 people across 40 states and Canada, with more than 1,100 working in Iowa. VGM has been named the Top Workplace in Iowa on multiple occasions and is proud of its role in the communities in which it serves. For more information visit www.vgmgroup.com.