Tag: ESOP

How ESOPs Benefit Employers and Employees

Part of every successful client-based business is the ability to retain existing clients. In order to retain these clients however, a business needs highly skilled, engaged, and happy employees. When an employee feels valued and can see the positive impacts of their work, they are more inclined to stay on board. With this notion, long-term success is hinged on finding exceptional talent, and training exceptional talent. But in which ways can this be done in such a competitive workforce? One way is to consider implementing an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to benefit employers and employees.

An ESOP is a type of retirement plan, similar in some ways to traditional plans like a 401(k). Studies show that ESOP companies grow about 2.5 times as fast as non-ESOP companies. They also are known to provide employees with up to 2.2 times the retirement assets.

Owner Benefits

ESOPs are defined contribution retirement plans that invest primarily in the common stock of the company. It is unique among retirement plans in that it can borrow money. This allows the ESOP to be a flexible succession strategy for a business owner who is looking to sell all or part of their business.

Aside from gains via engaged employees, there are a few reasons why business owners and employers choose to implement ESOPs into their business. For one, if (and when) it comes time for the business owner to sell, the company wouldn’t be thrown into the hands of someone completely unrelated to the business. Instead, selling to the ESOP means that: 

  • the company stays in place
  • the people who’ve helped build it get rewarded
  • the owner has the flexibility in terms of how much to sell and what role they’ll play in the future
  • the company nets substantial tax benefits

Employer Benefits

In the 21st annual survey completed by The Employee Ownership Foundation, ESOPs have been shown to improve overall company performance. The results showed that:

  • 76% of respondents indicated the ESOP positively affected the overall productivity of the employees
  • 70.5% of respondents reported profitability increased and 76.2% of respondents noted revenue increased
  • 80% of respondents stated the company’s stock value increased

Another significant survey conducted by Douglas Kruse and Joseph Blasi of Rutgers University reported that ESOPs increase sales, and sales per employee by 2.3 to 2.4 percent per year.

So how does this happen, just by having an ESOP as opposed to a typical retirement plan like a 401(k)? The bottom line is that an ESOP creates aligned incentives. Through the ESOP, employees earn ownership in the company, which make those eight or nine hours spent at work all the more worthwhile.

Employee Benefits

ESOPs have proven to be just as beneficial for the employees working at the company. When it comes to planning for retirement, employees want to rest assured that they will be financially stable. As such, Corey Rosen, co-founder and senior staff member of the National Center for Employee Ownership, stated that ESOP balances were three to five times higher on average than 401(k) plan balances. 

graphic displaying multiple hands grabbing a piece of the (company) pie

In addition to the financial benefits of an ESOP, there are certainly other perks that make employee owners feel valued and inclined to stay in their company. Firstly, is the notion of job security. ESOPs have been known to have lower turnover rates and are much less likely to lay people off. Secondly, ESOPs have proven to increase the well-being of their employees. Additional benefits include:

  • Greater feelings or job security and satisfaction
  • Increased trust in the management/company

In conclusion, employee stock ownership plans benefit the company, the owners, and the employees. An ESOP can be an excellent strategy for a company looking to enhance organizational performance, help employees prepare for retirement, and allow a business owner to meet succession or diversification goals. Do keep in mind that while all of these statistics may seem compelling, implementing an ESOP is not for every company, and lots of decision making must go into the process. If you are interested in learning more and implementing an ESOP into your business, be sure to do plenty of research!

T&H Joins Impact Tour with Water for People

In the small, landlocked country of Rwanda, situated amid a dense population of nearly 12 million inhabitants, Water for People (WFP) expanded their mission of promoting the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services. The ‘Everyone Forever’ model was built out of Water for People’s Rwanda office in Kigali and is a programmatic effort to provide water and sanitation to Everyone in targeted districts, Forever.

water for people logo impact tour

To understand the full scope of Water for People’s vision while also supporting their mission, two Tata & Howard employee owners will be heading off to visit Water for People’s Rwanda site as part of their Impact Tour in September of this year.

Impact Tour

Water for People’s Impact Tours were created in efforts to show stakeholders how the organization is strengthening communities and fostering independence within defined geographical areas – that is, by bringing clean water and sanitation to every family, clinic, and school.

Throughout the course of an Impact Tour, participants will visit one of Water for People’s sites for a week to visit country staff, see the work they are doing, and witness firsthand what supporting Water for People truly looks like. Participants will interact directly with community leaders, local staff, government officials and people whose lives have been changed for the better due to the support and work in their area.

photo credit: Water For People

There are typically two Impact Tours each year – the first of 2019 will be taking place in Bolivia from April 13-18. The Rwanda Impact Tour that our team members will be participating in will take place from September 7-12.

The Lucky Winner

James Hoyt, Project Manager, was chosen through a company-wide raffle that was put together through our ESOP Committee. This raffle encouraged employees to continue supporting an organization we have been heavily involved with as a company, while also increasing employee engagement.

James Hoyt casual photo

James is excited and honored for the opportunity to represent T&H for the Rwanda Impact Tour. He looks forward to meeting and interacting with Water for People staff and the local community while learning from their experiences.

“It is meaningful to have the opportunity to bring this experience back to the company and to be an advocate for the positive changes the organization is making,” he said.

Two’s Company

Tata & Howard Co-President, Jenna Rzasa will also be accompanying James on the Rwanda Impact Tour this September. As a donor and supporter of Water for People for the last 15+ years, Jenna saw the Impact Tour as a wonderful opportunity to see the positive benefits that come as a result of providing safe drinking water to the people of Rwanda.

Jenna Rzasa casual photo

“Not only is WFP important to me, but also to the late Don Tata (co-founder of Tata & Howard), who was passionate about the organization and the winner of the 2018 Kenneth J. Miller Founders’ Award,” said Jenna. “By choosing to attend the trip with the Tata & Howard Raffle Winner, it serves a tribute to Don as well,” she added.

Raffle Entries

To participate in the raffle, Tata & Howard team members were given several opportunities to earn raffle tickets for the Impact Tour trip, including:

  • Payroll Contribution to Water for People*

*The only requirement for raffle eligibility was a payroll contribution to Water for People. Subsequently, employee owners could then participate in other activities and company events to earn more tickets.

  • Time at Tata & Howard
  • Participation in ESOP Month Activities
  • Donations for the November Food Drive
  • Gifts for the DARE or Toys for Tots Giving Trees
  • Donations to the Animal Shelter Drive
  • Participation in the February ESOP event

A Second Opportunity

Because many of our team members have children, families, and other commitments – we were pleased to offer those unable to travel to Africa with the opportunity to use their raffle tickets elsewhere. Within a second raffle bucket, employee owners could also be eligible to win a $500 gift card to an airline of their choice. Raffle entries were collected in the same way they were for the Impact Tour.

The lucky winner for this prize was T&H Associate, Ryan Neyland. 

Ryan Neyland casual photo

While Ryan has yet to pick a destination to take advantage of his prize, he is thankful for the opportunity and is thankful to be part of Tata & Howard’s ESOP.

“I value the ESOP knowing that the long-term ownership of the company will remain with its employees, and that we all have a direct impact on the stability and value of our company,” said Ryan.

Special opportunities such as supporting a truly impactful organization are just some of the perks that come with being a part of an ESOP. While the Impact Tour trip to Africa may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we are always looking for ways to keep our employees working hard, engaged, and happy about the difference they can make in our company and the world.

 

ESOP – An Excellent First-Resort

As business owners, there is a lot to consider when mapping out future retirement and succession plans. Between 401(k)s, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and other similar options, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each one is critical. While plans such as 401(k)s and IRAs are most common, there is still a large knowledge gap when it comes to ESOPs – and because of this, the ESOP option frequently gets overlooked or viewed as a ‘last-resort.’

With that said, let’s dive into some of the great benefits that ESOPs bring to both employers and employees, and discuss why ESOPs should truly be viewed as a first-resort.

For starters – what is an ESOP?

To keep it simple, companies that launch an ESOP form a trust that purchases some or all of the company’s shares and holds them in retirement accounts for employees. As the stock value increases or decreases over time, so too does the value of the employees’ accounts.

The two main reasons why ESOPs are such beneficial alternatives to the other succession plans out there are as follows:

  1. ESOPs increase employee engagement, thus improving the company’s overall performance
  2. ESOPs offer potentially compelling benefits at the time of sale

Employee Engagement

In terms of employee engagement, studies have shown that employees who participate in an ESOP are more motivated to perform at a higher level than those who do not participate in an ESOP. Research in a study conducted on the effects of ESOP adoption and employee ownership at the University of Pennsylvania showed that individual employee-owners have increased job satisfaction, organizational commitment, motivation and workplace participation. Employee ownership has also been shown to result in increased firm productivity, profitability and longevity.  In the largest study on the performance of employee stock ownership plans, Joseph Blasi and Douglas Kruse found that overall, productivity increased by 4% in companies who participate in an ESOP. The National Center for Employee Ownership also found that on average, employee-owners have retirement accounts that are 2.2x larger than those in traditionally owned companies.

hands together for employee engagement

Compelling Benefits

The second reason why ESOPs are a great option for business owners is the increased optionality. When the time comes to sell a business, ESOPs give business owners more than one solution to a very complex situation. One example of this can be seen through the decision Dansko, a popular manufacturer of shoes, made to become an employee owned company. When owner Mandy Cabot made the decision to sell her company, she was presented with an offer from Timberland, another massive name in the industry. While the deal offered an attractive price tag and additional benefits like added R&D for Dansko, ultimately Mandy sold her shares to an ESOP. Instead of an outside company running her business, the employee owners who have been ingrained in Dansko’s roots for so long, will continue on with their original commitment to employees, community, and values.

“In any business, employees are the life-blood, they ARE the business,” Mandy said. “Through our employees, Dansko will learn, evolve, and regenerate itself virtually forever.”

Misconceptions of ESOPs

With these benefits laid out on the table, what then gets in the way of owners looking to implement this viable option? Here are some of the major misconceptions surrounding ESOPs:

  1. An owner may not get fair market value by selling to an ESOP – It is true that an ESOP cannot pay MORE than a business’ fair market value – thus, an owner will not be walking away with an offer from the highest bidder. However, the ESOP can pay every dollar of fair market value determined by a market evaluation exercise.
  2. Owners lose operating control of their companies when they create an ESOP – This is also not true. While employee-owners will observe management decisions and strategies to grow the value of the company, ESOP members don’t manage operations.
  3. ESOPs are too complex – Although there are more nuances when it comes to setting up an ESOP, ESOPs are structured under U.S. law as an employee retirement plan. There are many financial advisors out there who are experts on the ins and outs of ESOPs.

In the end, some retirement options may be better suited for certain companies and firms – but at the least, be sure to evaluate the tangible benefits of an ESOP.

Tata & Howard logo

Tata & Howard adopted an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in October of 2014 to ensure future success of the company. As a result, Tata & Howard employees own 100% of the company through their ESOP. Since becoming an ESOP company, Tata & Howard still upholds the same core mission and values of teamwork, efficient solutions, client satisfaction, integrity, and positive attitude, originally established more than 27 years ago.

 

Great Eggspectations

Employees Celebrate National Egg Day with a Little Fun!

Some people like their eggs over easy. Others prefer theirs hard boiled. At Tata & Howard it seems we like our eggs scrambled!

In recognition of National Egg Day (June 3, 2018), Tata & Howard employees competed in an Egg Drop Challenge. The Egg Drop Contest is a collaborative engineering activity that tests one’s creative problem-solving skills.  And not to get too technical, the Challenge is also a test in the understanding of physics, fluid dynamics, motion, the forces of gravity, and much more.  Working together on these egg structures is also a fun and engaging team-building activity.

The Challenge

After dividing into teams, each group was tasked with creating a structure that could protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a 10-foot height—or at least one story—onto a solid floor.

Team begins workUsing ordinary office supplies (plus an uncooked chicken egg), to build their egg protective packages, teams could use as many or as few of the materials and were free to cut, tear, or break any of the pieces. The time to create the egg structures lasted 20 minutes. After the creating phase was over, it was time to drop the eggs.

This is the time when teams often crack under pressure.

Down They Go

Kevin LaunchesFrom the second floor of our Waterbury, CT office, two teams dropped their eggs onto the sidewalk below.  Upon closer examination, not one of the eggs survived the fall.  In the case of a tie, as in this case since both eggs broke on impact, the team using the least amount of materials was declared the winners. Congratulations to Chelsea, Will, Kevin and Sal who used fewer pieces in the design of their egg packages.

At our Marlborough office, the eggs were dropped from the second floor into the lobby. Each of the four teams carefully suspended their structures over the railing and let go. After the fall, one of the packages oozed liquids, a sign of a broken egg. The other three eggs appeared to have survived the fall showing no obvious signs of breakage.

Failed eggThose three teams then ventured to the third floor and dropped their eggs again.  Sadly, none of the eggs survived the fall from the nearly 30-foot fall. And, although many of the egg structures were still intact, it was clear from the misshapen, leaking packages, the eggs broke on contact.  Fortunately, there was very little mess to clean up since the eggs were all overly wrapped and packaged. It was a tough call, but team Chris and Chrissie shared the winning honors.

Incredible Edible Egg

As fragile as eggs can be, they already come in the perfect little package. Eggs are also one of nature’s best sources of protein and amino acids. Eggs also have no carbohydrates or sugar and just like drinking water, play an important role in nourishing families around the globe. National Egg Day is a great time to celebrate and recognize the importance of eggs in our diets. The Egg Drop Challenge is a fun way to bring awareness to this incredible little health food!

The Egg Drop Challenge

Brown eggThe materials used for the egg drop challenge can be whatever you choose. We opted to use common items found around the office.  Of course, don’t forget the egg!

Each Kit contains:
6 Coffee Sticks
2 sheets – 8 ½ x 11” paper
1 yard of masking tape
1 yard of string
5 rubber bands
1 paper plate
2 paper napkins

Download the instructions

DOWNLOAD

Egg Drop

ESOP Month – It’s a Wrap!

Tata & Howard is a 100% employee-owned company, or ESOP. Being an ESOP is an integral part of our corporate culture, and we consistently strive to enhance our core values of teamwork, innovative solutions, positive attitude, efficiency, and integrity through teambuilding activities throughout the year. October is ESOP Month, celebrated by ESOP companies across the United States, and an excellent time for all of us at Tata & Howard to focus on the benefits of employee-ownership as well as the core values that have been with us since our inception in 1992.

Earlier in the month, we showcased how our four ESOP committees – Communications, Green, Philanthropy, and Wellness – planned a month of activities for the Tata & Howard team, Harry Potter style. The first half of the month saw a philanthropic initiative to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a community trash cleanup day, and a “Minute to Win It” challenge, as well as various food-themed events. The second half of ESOP Month was also filled with fun and festive activities, including the firm’s official 25th anniversary.

Co-Presidents Karen Gracey and Jenna Rzasa poured the celebratory champagne

On October 19, Tata & Howard officially turned 25 years old. Founded on October 19, 1992, Tata & Howard has grown from a two-person startup to a thriving 70-person firm with nine offices in seven states as well as Ontario, Canada. On October 19, all offices were treated to a celebratory catered lunch, where Co-President Karen Gracey and Co-Founder and Senior Vice President Paul Howard spoke to the entire team about the history of the firm as well as goals for the future. After the speeches, everyone raised a champagne toast for 25 exceptional years in business — and for 25 more — after which we all received Tata & Howard branded fleece jackets.

Taking a selfie with a dinosaur was a hunt requirement!

On Saturday, October 21, we celebrated our 25th anniversary in style, beginning at the Boston Museum of Science, where 70 T&H employee-owners (EOs) and their guests participated in a Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt throughout the museum. Broken into 10 teams, EOs received 24 clues and a coded sheet and were given two hours to complete their assignment. The hunt was highly entertaining while also providing EOs the chance to get to know their fellow EOs from other offices a bit better. Not surprisingly, six of the ten teams fully completed the challenge with all correct answers, so the winner was determined through some tie-breaking trivia questions about the museum. The winning team was Team 2 Beat, who were all smiles for the photo!

Team 2 Beat

After completing the scavenger hunt, EOs headed over to the Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in the United States, where we enjoyed appetizers and drinks in a private room. Once everyone had arrived, a theater troupe from Monson, MA (one of our clients!) began their performance of Trial & Error, a hilarious interactive show that takes place in a courtroom. Each act was given between courses, and the laughter could be heard throughout the restaurant. At the end of the night, we cut into our special 25th anniversary cake and savored the sweet taste of success. The night was highly enjoyable and a true celebration of our firm’s incredible accomplishments.

Steve Landry took his folding very seriously.

Also during the second half of ESOP Month, EOs participated in a paper airplane contest. EOs in all offices had ten minutes to make paper airplanes out of standard copy paper. No glue, tape, paper clips, tearing, or puncturing of the paper were allowed. After the planes were built, it was time to test! Points were awarded on a basis of longest distance flown as well as longest air time. First, second, and third place winners in each category won points for their houses. Adam Carrier took top spot for distance with 37.3 feet flown, and James Hoyt won first place for airtime with 3.1 seconds. Jon Gregory and William Grant came in second and third, respectively, in both events, with distances of 37.2 feet and 36.7 feet, and airtimes of 2.65 seconds and 2.6 seconds.

Will Grant and Sal Longo test flew their planes in Waterbury, CT.

Brian Biagini learned that not all flights necessarily go as planned!

Another friendlier challenge was our thank you note challenge, sponsored by the Philanthropy Committee. EOs were asked to send thank you notes or emails to their fellow co-workers, and for every thank you they sent, the ESOP Committee would send $1.00 to DARE Family Services, with a three thank you note per EO cap. The day brought lots of smiles as people received special messages of appreciation, and we ended up collecting $108 to send to DARE. The event was well received and reminded everyone to show gratitude.

During the last week of ESOP Month, EOs participated in a step competition, sponsored by our Wellness Committee. The team with the highest total steps as well as the team with the most participation would receive points for their houses. Over half the company participated, and collectively we racked up an astounding 1,754,372 steps!  That’s the equivalent of walking from Marlborough, Massachusetts to Cincinnati, Ohio.

To wrap up ESOP Month, EOs got together after work on Monday, October 30 to enjoy some home baked pumpkin treats and pumpkin beer while we decorated mini pumpkins. On Halloween, the house points were tallied, and we are happy to announce that Ravenclaw wins the House Cup! All in all, ESOP Month was another huge success, and we are already planning for next year.

ESOP Month Update

As a 100% employee-owned company, Tata & Howard has a unique culture that celebrates teamwork, efficiency, integrity, positivity, philanthropy, sustainability, and yes, even fun. ESOP Month is celebrated by ESOP companies throughout the United States in October each year, and it serves as an excellent reminder of the many reasons why being part of an ESOP is such an exciting opportunity. Throughout the month, employee-owners (EOs) participate in challenges, activities, educational sessions, and philanthropic initiatives that embody the essence of ESOP culture and serve to remind EOs of the incredible benefits realized by being part of an ESOP company.

At Tata & Howard, our four ESOP committees – Communications, Green, Philanthropy, and Wellness – got together to plan a month’s worth of festivities. The month kicked off with cider donuts, cider, and coffee in all offices, after which EOs were sorted into houses, Harry Potter style. EOs will stay in their house for the month and houses will collect points based on participation and success in challenges. The house with the most points at the end of the month is declared the winner and receives the House Cup.

Our first challenge was a philanthropic initiative. EOs were asked to donate to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the company offered to match all donations dollar for dollar. Both participation and total donation amounts were important; therefore, lots of pledging took place over the next week. The houses were evenly matched and only after some last minute pledging did Ravenclaw win for total donation, while Slytherin took home the participation prize. The most impressive statistic is that 80% of our EOs participated in this important event. The total tally after the company match was $6,650!

Also during week 1, EOs celebrated National Taco Day, which officially fell on October 4. Some offices had a taco potluck and others grabbed tacos from a local restaurant, but all offices enjoyed National Taco Day and spending some downtime together.

Week 2 brought on a whole new set of challenges. EOs participated in a “Minute to Win It” challenge that included building the tallest possible tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows in five minutes, and three one minute challenges including moving piles of index cards by sucking them up with a straw, moving marshmallows with chopsticks, and eating a cookie from one’s forehead without using hands. Needless to say, laughs abounded and we learned who eats a lot of ramen and who has experience with forehead cookie eating! Points were again awarded for both participation and winning challenges.

On Friday of Week 2, EOs headed outside at all offices to pick up trash in their local communities. It was a beautiful, sunny day and EOs were successful in cleaning up their areas while enjoying camaraderie. Only participation points were awarded since we couldn’t get any volunteers to weigh the trash collected. At the end of week 2, the standings were as follows:

Slytherin: 120
Gryffindor: 75
Ravenclaw: 50
Hufflepuff: 40

Next week’s plans include a thank you note challenge and a paper airplane challenge, as well as our 25th anniversary celebration. Stay tuned for updates!

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ESOP Poker Night

Since many EOs were at the corporate office in Marlborough, MA for training on September 20, the ESOP Committee decided to host an after-hours Poker Night complete with barbecue from Firefly’s and a variety of beers including fellow ESOP Harpoon Brewery’s Flannel Friday. EOs enjoyed some great food and downtime while also participating in a friendly Texas Hold’Em tournament. The grand winner of the night was Dave Ceppetelli from the Vermont office, and he walked away with a VISA gift card. The response from the team was extremely positive, and we can’t wait for the next fun outing (which will be very soon considering October is ESOP Month!)

The Team That Plays Together Stays Together!

At Tata & Howard, we place high value on teamwork. In fact, it is one of our five core values on which the firm was founded 25 years ago. Teamwork is important on many levels. Working as a team internally ensures that our clients are receiving the best, most innovative and technically accurate service on projects. Working as a cohesive team with our clients allows us to truly hear what our clients are saying, enabling us to understand their needs and concerns, and to work together to efficiently find solutions to their challenges.

But team building doesn’t happen by chance; rather, it requires a concentrated effort from employee-owners at all levels in order to build and maintain positive and meaningful relationships. Because of this, Tata & Howard encourages and invests in activities that bring all of us closer together. A large part of our team building comes in the form of our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Since 2014, 100% of the stock in Tata & Howard has been owned by the employees, and since every member of the firm is an owner, the success of the firm becomes much more personal. Just like a football team that must work together to win championships (we might be talking about the Patriots here!), we also work together to deliver the best projects to our clients, enabling us to grow the firm.

EOs participated in the Charles River Cleanup event in April

To further our ESOP culture of ownership, we have four dedicated ESOP committees: the ESOP Communications Committee, the Green Committee, the Wellness Committee, and the Philanthropy Committee. Working independently and together, these four committees strive to bring team building, a sense of community, physical and mental health, and positive change to the firm. To that end, the ESOP committees plan and fund numerous activities and initiatives throughout the year.

EOs donated supplies to teens at Monty Tech during a backpack drive, and plan to participate again in the fall

Some of our 2017 initiatives have included the purchase of flatware and the elimination of disposable utensils at all offices, a backpack drive to benefit disadvantaged high school students, participation in the Charles River Cleanup, a special night of teaching girls about engineering, employee-initiated and company matched donations to the Colonias program and to Water For People, a cookout at Hopkinton State Park, and several special lunches and after work events. Planned events include the Navajo Water Project 5K (everyone can participate! Click here for more info), a scavenger hunt at the Museum of Science followed by dinner at the Union Oyster House, an Operation Gratitude necessities drive for our nation’s veterans, a volunteering event at a local soup kitchen, and numerous other philanthropic and fun events.

CT EOs were all smiles during their cookout!

Last week, the weather was spectacular, so the ESOP Communications Committee decided to host an after-hours cookout complete with grills, burgers, sides, beer, and lawn games. Employee-owners in Marlborough enjoyed chatting and lounging in the grass, as well as a bit of friendly competition in the form of 4-Square. Down in Connecticut, EOs chose a shady spot and enjoyed a variety of food as well as each other’s company. The Vermont and Maine offices had some team members in the field and on vacation, so they decided to postpone their events for a couple of weeks, but we’ve heard rumblings of a possible Portland Seadogs excursion in the near future!

We believe that our team is what sets us apart and what makes the firm special, and the firm of choice for innovative solutions in the water environment. From working together on innovative projects — like the recently completed 8.0 mgd DAF Long Pond Water Treatment Plant in Falmouth, MA or the under construction 7.0 mgd biological filtration Home Farm Water Treatment Plant in Shrewsbury, MA — to participating in philanthropic ventures and fun outings, the Tata & Howard team focuses on camaraderie, positivity, support, efficiency, and innovation. By working and playing as a team, we bring out the best in each other and provide a superior level of service and productivity to our clients. And the best part is that we have fun while doing it!

Tom Hoctor, Bill Andres, and Dave Lombardo found a shady spot to relax.

MA employee-owners grabbed some food before playing lawn games.

 

Engineer Tom Hoctor grilled up the goods for the CT crew!

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Happy Arbor Day from T&H Employee-Owners!

April 28 is Arbor Day and National Planting Day in the United States, and two of our ESOP Committees — the Wellness and Green Committees — joined forces to host a planting event for our employee-owners. Studies have shown that plants are proven to enhance the workplace by reducing stress, increasing productivity, reducing sickness and absence, creating a better environment in which to work, improving air quality, reducing noise, and increasing creativity.

Employee-owners from the Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine offices participated in the event, which happened to be a gorgeous, sunny day throughout New England. Everyone enjoyed the activity, had a lot of laughs, and brought their plants back to their workspaces to brighten things up. In the spirit of cooperation and teamwork, several of our employee-owners planted for those who were out of the office and unable to attend. Overall, the event was a fun way to enjoy some sunshine and good company, and to improve our workspace and environment.

Happy Arbor Day!

The CT office had plenty of laughs while planting

Nan Nanadoum from our CT office

MA office employee-owners pose with their masterpieces

The Marlborough, MA office did their planting outside

The Massachusetts crew got to work

Collin Stuart from our Maine office

Maine’s finished plants!

Paul Cote from our Maine office

Tata & Howard Celebrates 25 Years in Business

TH 25-22017 marks Tata & Howard’s 25th anniversary year, and in celebration, we are planning a year-worth of activities and special events. Tata & Howard’s doors were officially opened on October 19, 1992 by Don Tata and Paul Howard, who remain active in the firm as Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President, respectively, today. Initially a two-person startup, the firm has grown to over 65 employees with nine offices in seven states. And while our services and experience have expanded exponentially since 1992, we remain a niche water firm with deep, targeted expertise in the water environment.

Throughout our 25 years in business, quite a bit has changed, including regulatory requirements, supply and demand, treatment technologies, climate change, and the face of our nation’s workforce. At a company level, we have moved our corporate headquarters, expanded nationally, rolled out a new logo, converted to a 100% ESOP, hired nationally recognized subject matter experts, appointed several vice presidents and two co-presidents, and weathered the effects of the retiring generation of Baby Boomers. However, one thing has not changed since our inception: our core values. Efficient solutions, integrity, client satisfaction, teamwork, and positive attitude have formed our cornerstone for the past 25 years, and will continue to steer the company, our people, and our decisions as we continue to grow with and into the future.

teamwork-esopAs part of our year-long celebration, we will be implementing several initiatives that focus on our core values and our ESOP culture. We have planned monthly activities including numerous philanthropic initiatives, client-centric special events, the planting of a time capsule, the implementation of an annual scholarship, and assorted team-focused activities. All of our planned events will be based on at least one of our core values and will celebrate the positive team environment that exemplifies Tata & Howard.

We look forward to celebrating our silver anniversary with all of our clients, colleagues, family, and friends. Keep your eyes on your inbox for special invitations and news announcements – and if you haven’t joined our email list, you may click below to sign up. Our goal is to make our 25th anniversary year an event to remember, and one that celebrates not only our company, clients, and employee-owners, but also the core values that lay the foundation on which the firm was founded — and on which the firm continues to thrive, both now and in the future.