Business View Magazine - Nov 2023

146 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 11 typical process they go through to achieve this, saying, “We’re scheduled to visit a new facility next month to discuss our ESOP and our employee owners’ questions… to help them understand how their efforts contribute to the company. Mark and I have [several] meetings within our facilities throughout the year with employees and their spouses as well.” The company values open dialogue among employees about how things should work, which speaks volumes about its long-term intentions. Robert Tramburg clarifies, “Our goal, way beyond five years, is that our ESOP will own 100% of Vita Plus,” confirming a self-evident truth within the company’s collective conduct. “That’s what we believe will continue to provide that point of difference… it’s our key people who are in contact with our customers… so, yes, our salespeople, truck drivers, plant personnel, and office staff. They’re all important, and that’s why working together with our ESOP makes sense,” Tramburg concludes. For this agricultural giant, doing business isn’t rocket science; their process is profoundly simple: empower the employee to get out there and serve the customer. And their results clearly speak for themselves. Tramburg chimes in, putting those numbers into practical terms, saying, “We’ve had 25 employees that are currently employed or retired that are millionaires coming out of the ESOP.” These employees come from various backgrounds, from truck drivers to plant specialists to salespeople to office staff and salaried managers. Everyone involved in Vita Plus’ operation benefits from the ESOP’s tremendous performance. A Plan of Partnership and Empowerment The key to Vita Plus’ phenomenal triumphs lies in its relationships with its vendors, customers, and employees. In addition to the vendor relationships already mentioned, several other vendors have and continue to provide outstanding value to the company. Those key names include Clifton Larson Allen, an accounting firm, Bank of America, Stinson LLP (ESOP legal services), and the Newport Group (ESOP recordkeeping). Additionally, Vita Plus consistently educates and queries its newest employees on how the ESOP can better serve them. Vice President of Operations John Tramburg explains a