1. Congressional Company Visits
Rod Reinertson
Director of Automation, Van Meter Industrial
President-Elect, Iowa/Nebraska Chapter

2. Who are your Congressmen and Senators?
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?

3. Go to http://www. house. gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State
Go to to find yours!
Iowa’s1st District – Bruce Braley, 2nd District – David Loebsack, 3rd District – Leonard Boswell, 4th District - Tom Latham, 5th District – Steve King
Note: Loebsack is also a member of House Education and the Workforce Committee

4. Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin
Goto for yours!
Iowa Senators
Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin

5. Goto http://www.esopassociation.org/pdfs/Advocacy_Kit.pdf or

6. Prepare a one page handout on your company and ESOP
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

7. VMI’s One page handout

10. 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

11. Senator Chuck Grassley’s visit to Van Meter Industrial – “The Perfect Tour”

12. Congressman David Loebsack’s visit to Van Meter Industrial – “The Perfect Tour”

13. Finally…Be persistent
If all else fails….visit them!
Thank You,
Rod Reinertson