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Employee Ownership

Larson Design Group has been proudly employee-owned since 2001. 100% of our stock is held by employees, and everyone who works here has the opportunity to become an owner. Employee ownership strengthens our culture, aligns incentives to ensure that we all benefit from our company’s success, and provides us all a tremendous long-term wealth building opportunity. Ownership is about going above and beyond the call of duty to make LDG successful. But it’s also about sharing in the financial rewards that success brings. Employee ownership closes the loop between employees and owners, creating a powerful dynamic that benefits our people, our customers, and our community.

Benefits of Being Employee Owned

We asked our senior leadership team what they enjoy most about working for an employee-owned company. Watch to see what they said.

The ESOP allows for me to share in the success of LDG and provides another method of saving for retirement.

Jamie George - Business Development

Being an employee owner makes me feel valued. It’s rewarding to see that your hard work benefits the company as a whole.

Kaylee Caruso - Human Resources

I appreciate the collective nature of the employee ownership and not having to answer to outside shareholders or a small group of individual owners.

Brad Sick - Infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does it mean to be employee-owned?

A: It means that everyone who works at the company has the opportunity to become an owner! Employee ownership ensures that everyone builds wealth when the company succeeds.

Q: What is an ESOP?

A: An ESOP is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Technically it is a retirement plan. Your ESOP account is funded by annual contributions made by the company and the value of your account tracks closely with our success. You pay nothing for your shares and do not have to contribute to your ESOP account.

Q: Is the ESOP open to all employees?

A: It is open to all employees who are over the age of 21 and have worked at least 1,000 hours in the last 12 months.

Q: Does this cost me anything?

A: It does not cost you anything! Your ESOP is funded entirely by contributions made by the company.

Q: What is vesting?

Vesting is the percentage of your ESOP account that is yours and cannot be taken back. The longer you work here, the more you vest; note that vesting begins on your hire date, not the date you are enrolled in the ESOP. If you leave before you are 100% vested, the non-vested portion gets put back into the ESOP.

Q: When do I get the money?

A: The goal of the ESOP is to give current employees an ownership stake in our company. As a result, distribution of the benefit in your ESOP account begins when you leave the company or retire.

Q: Does this mean I can set my own schedule?

A: There is a difference between ownership and control. Ownership is about having a monetary stake in and an ability to have a positive impact on the success of the company. Control is about decision making. Just because you own shares of Coke doesn’t mean you get to pick the next flavor. We are still professionally managed and many of the normal rules of business still apply.

Q: What can I do to help increase our share price?

A: As a team of owners, we all have a role to play in our success. Anything you can do to increase output or save us money will help raise our share price (and the value of our ESOP accounts). Even small ideas add up to big increases when we all do our part.

Q: How do I learn more?

A: Reach out to the Employee-Owners Committee at ESOP@larsondesigngroup.com with any questions.

A Certified Employee-Owned Company

LDG is proud to be a Certified EO company, a designation achieved by only 1 in 200 American businesses. This certification is based on rigorous standards of significant and broad-based employee ownership. In addition to a comprehensive review of our program, we gain a library of tools, resources, and educational materials to help our employee-owners understand, engage, and make the most of their experience.

Learn more about Certified EO

Hear from our Employee Owners

How We Celebrate Employee Owners Month

2023

2022

Employee Owners Month at LDG is a time of celebration and recognition, with a series of events and activities designed to show appreciation for our incredible employee-owners.

Each year, LDG goes above and beyond to celebrate Employee Owners Month, with special events, awards, and activities that showcase our commitment to our employee-owners.

News & Insights

Employee Spotlight: LDG’s Director of Business Intelligence Christian Hess

Larson Design Group Announces Addition of LWPB as New Subsidiary to Expand Firm’s Architecture and Federal Expertise

LDG Expands to Central Florida, Hires Andrew Dorin as Director, Retail Design

At LDG, we know that our people are our greatest asset.

By Joining Forces with Oklahoma-based LWPB Inc.

Larson Design Group (LDG) is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrew Dorin, RA, as Retail Design leader in central Florida – another strong indicator of the firm’s forward mome...