Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production
It’s Only Common Sense: Your Biggest Competitor Is Complacency
The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
SEL Named One of the Nation’s Largest Employee-owned Companies
September 5, 2022 | Schweitzer Engineering LaboratoriesEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is the 22nd largest employee-owned company in the United States, according to the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). This week, the NCEO released its 2022 Employee Ownership 100, a list of the nation’s largest companies that are at least 50 percent employee-owned.
SEL has steadily moved up the NCEO’s annual list, rising 27 spots since 2011. The ranking is based on the number of full- and part-time employees in the U.S. and worldwide. The list also highlights companies that are 100 percent employee-owned. SEL ranks 17th in this category.
SEL first transitioned to employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1994 and became 100 percent employee-owned in 2009 as part of the company’s long-term strategy for sustained growth, stability and customer focus.
“Employee ownership has become part of SEL’s DNA and has been key to our success,” said Chief Business and Financial Officer Joey Nestegard. “It creates an environment where employees own, run and grow the company and have a personal stake in the outcome. This is a business model that results in long-term employment, high levels of employee engagement and exceptional relationships with customers. It’s not one driven by quarterly earnings or other short-term concerns.”
According to NCEO research, employees at ESOP companies have an average of $67,000 more in retirement savings than employees in non-ESOP companies, and ESOP companies are associated with 33% higher median income from wages and 53% longer median job tenure.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
It’s Only Common Sense: Your Biggest Competitor Is Complacency
10/27/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseIf I had a nickel for every time I heard, “That’s how we’ve always done it,” I’d own a PCB factory on every continent. That statement deserves to be carved on a tombstone, because it’s a eulogy for innovation, growth, and survival. Customers, markets, and technology don’t care how you’ve always done it. Change is happening every day, and if you’re standing still, you’re not holding your ground; you’re falling behind.
MES Software Tools Need Thoughtful Integration
10/21/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineThe Global Electronics Association recently published a survey report on the state of EMS production software. This project, led by Thiago Guimaraes, director of industry intelligence, connects the dots across the global electronics value chain to uncover practical insights that individual companies might not have seen on their own. In this interview, Thiago discusses the whys and hows of this report.
New Episode of Voices of the Industry Podcast Explores Breakthroughs in Test and Inspection
10/22/2025 | I-Connect007In this episode of Voices of the Industry, “Testing Innovation: Advances in Test, Inspection & Failure Analysis,” host Nolan Johnson speaks with Rob Boguski, president of Datest. Together, they explore the expanding world of circuit testing, inspection, and failure analysis, areas that are experiencing a surge in technological capability and sophistication. As Johnson and Boguski discuss, today’s test companies are performing analyses and precision methods that would have seemed impossible just a decade ago.
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Balancing Speed and Flexibility Without Sacrificing Control
10/15/2025 | Bob Duke -- Column: Global Sourcing SpotlightIn global sourcing, speed is a necessity; however, speed without flexibility is a recipe for chaos. Likewise, flexibility without structure leads to inefficiency. Companies thrive when they build agile global sourcing strategies that allow them to move quickly while adapting to market fluctuations, customer demands, and supply chain disruptions. Here’s how leading organizations successfully navigate the critical gap between speed and flexibility in global sourcing.
It’s Only Common Sense: If You’re Not Differentiated, You’re Dead
10/13/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common Sense“Good enough” is not good enough in business. Not anymore. “Good enough” is a death sentence in today’s market. Too many companies hide behind their ISO certificates, ITAR registrations, and shiny badges of compliance as if those are supposed to impress customers, but certifications are table stakes. Everyone has them. If you think that’s your differentiator, you’re already in the grave; you just don’t know it.