Employee Ownership
Building now and for the future.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
After 58 years of being a family-owned company, Messer became an employee-owned company in 1990. This action required the vision and sacrifices of a few to build the career paths and ownership years later for so many.
In 2025, Messer celebrates 35 years of employee ownership. This has helped us drive our continued focus on community investment, diverse business partnerships and client relationships for positive impact where we live and work.
ESOP Benefits
An ESOP can spur job creation, improve wages and productivity and strengthen retirement savings. Messer’s ESOP is 100% company-funded. And unlike a 401(k), nothing comes out of the employee’s paycheck. Every employee-owner earns a stake in the company’s growth and direction.
"Employment without ownership is work; employment with ownership is opportunity.”
From the book Steerageway: How Employee Owners Set Direction Amid the Currents of Change, by Pete Strange, Messer's former president and CEO.
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We're owners. And when you own something, you take care of it differently. You think long-term. You look out for the people around you. You make decisions based on more than just next quarter.
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Employee ownership fosters a culture of shared responsibility and long-term commitment. It encourages people to grow together, support one another, and build lasting ties - not just within the company, but also in the neighborhoods they call home.
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ESCA Federal Policy Conference and Lobby Day
Messer leaders regularly attend the ESCA Federal Policy Conference and Lobby Day in Washington D.C. to meet with congressional staff members and discuss how employee ownership helps employees save for retirement and achieve long-term financial stability.