NEW ULM — MBW Company is celebrating 15 years of employee ownership and 40 years since its founding.

MBW Company started providing services on Feb. 1, 1978. The company was founded by Mark and Brenda Wiger to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to leave the state institutions and return to their local communities. As the needs of services continued to increase, MBW Company continued to expand. Today, MBW Company provides services to over 110 clients across four counties and has 200 employees. The company continues to strive to provide services that support and foster growth in all individuals that it serves. The services that are currently offered include: Residential, Non-Residential, Assisted Living, Adult Day, Hourly Support, Homecare & Nursing.

On March 17, 2003, MBW Company became employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The former owners, Mark and Brenda Wiger, were looking for a succession plan and believed that employee ownership would successfully carry the company mission forward. MBW Company believes through employee ownership; employees have a vested interest in the services that it provides to its clients. As a result, the ESOP has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on the company, creating broad-based ownership among all employees, and fostering an environment in which everyone understands his or her role in assisting the company to achieve its quality services. Employee ownership builds successful, competitive companies, and creates equitable wealth for vested employee-owners. “Employee ownership provides an opportunity for those who provide direct services a return for excellent work,” said MBW Company CEO, Ric Nelson.

MBW Company will be celebrating the anniversaries throughout 2018 with a variety of planned activities.