Employee Recognition

Employee Appreciation and Mission, Vision, Values Month

August is WSC’s Employee Appreciation and Mission, Vision, Value Month. All month long there are activities to celebrate our employee’s dedication and service, while focusing on the importance of our mission, vision, and values. Activities for this month-long celebration included a complimentary food and drink trucks, yoga and sound bath meditation, a swag item raffle giveaway and peer recognition program.

The WSC LinkedIn published posts throughout the month of August to promote the mission, vision and values, and show our appreciation for employees.

Peer Recognition Program

Corporate office staff were able to recognize their peers and colleagues in August during Employee Appreciation and Mission, Vision, Values Month through our Peer Recognition Program, Wright’s Game Changers. Those nominated demonstrate our core values of safety, family, integrity, excellence and stewardship. Nominated employees and those who submitted nominations were entered to win prizes. nominators could submit more than one nomination, giving them a higher chance to win.

96 nominations were submitted, with participation from every department for both individuals nominating others and being nominated.

Employee Ownership

WSC has been a proud employee-owned company since 2002 and 100% employee-owned since 2006. Through shared ownership, WSC’s ESOP helps to promote a positive, unique organizational culture and supports company success. The ESOP is also designed to assist our employees with their retirement and provide them with a financial stake in the company. For our customers and partners, we are empowered to provide exceptional service and innovative solutions.

The ESOP enables employees to directly affect profitability and value and see the results. The ESOP has also allowed the company to protect jobs and support the communities we work in.

Only non-union employees who are at least 18 years of age, worked for the company for one year totaling at least 1,000 hours are eligible to enter the plan. Employees are automatically enrolled in the ESOP after meeting the qualifications on April 1 or October 1, following their 1-year anniversary date with the company.

With new employees constantly joining the company, many new to an ESOP company, and others entering the plan, the Employee Ownership committee provides ESOP educational training. They encourage divisions to host annual training conducted by committee members. Employee Ownership committee members continue to support the ESOP community through donations to the Employee Ownership Foundation and the development of a Central Iowa networking group.

Committee members continue to participate in the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter of The ESOP Association including attending events and conferences. WSC
remains on the list as one of the largest employee-owned companies in the U.S., according to the National Center for Employee Ownership coming in at 20.

Employee Ownership Month

Since WSC is an employee-owned company through our ESOP, the company celebrates Employee Ownership Month each year. This is an opportunity to further educate our employees about being an employee owner and working for an ESOP company!

In 2024, the Employee Ownership committee hosted their tenth annual Employee Ownership Month with an Oktoberfest theme. They had several activities and contests to participate in all month long. This included an appreciation breakfast, interview series discussing benefits of the ESOP through the lens of retired and active employees, word and card games, ESOPATHON fundraiser, trivia and a stein holding contest. A few of the winners got to enjoy lunch with one of our executives!