Congressional Company Visits Rod Reinertson Director of Automation, Van Meter Industrial President-Elect, Iowa/Nebraska Chapter
Agenda: Who are your Congressmen and Senators? – How do you contact them? Do you know your Congressional districts? – Why is that important? What do they know about ESOPs? – What is there position on ESOPs? – Shared capitalism is a significant part of the U.S. economic model What do they know about your company? – ESOP History & culture How do you get them to visit your company? – What to do when you get them there?
Iowa’s1st District – Bruce Braley, 2 nd District – David Loebsack, 3 rd District – Leonard Boswell, 4 th District - Tom Latham, 5 th District – Steve King Note: Loebsack is also a member of House Education and the Workforce Committee Go to to find yours!
Goto for yours! Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin
Goto orhttp://
Other key items: Find the contact person (Administrator, Scheduler or Aide) of the Congressman's or Senators office nearest you. – Discuss best time for a visit – Be flexible Write a letter Prepare a one page handout on your company and ESOP Get employee owners involved – Queue up employee owners to share stories Take pictures Send out press release announcing the visit Follow- up letter after visit – Visit them in DC while at ESOP Annual Conference
VMI’s One page handout
Create an agenda for the visit 9-9:30am: Company history 9:30-10am: ESOP history and ESOP Communication committee activities 10-10:30am: What employee ownership culture means to us? Engagement; How that affects our customers and our community. 10:30-11:30am: Tour facility and meet employee owners 11:30am - 12:30pm: Lunch and give opportunity to speak on their position on ESOP and any activity they are aware of in their respective offices and DC in regards to ESOPs. Note: It may be hard to get this much of their time
Senator Chuck Grassley’s visit to Van Meter Industrial – “The Perfect Tour”
Congressman David Loebsack’s visit to Van Meter Industrial – “The Perfect Tour”
Finally…Be persistent If all else fails….visit them! Thank You, Rod Reinertson