His name is Michael.

Michael P. is a Direct Support Professional with OPG .

Michael supports his brother 5 days a week.

Michael has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, sometimes referred to as Asperger’s syndrome. 

Michael has told a close group of friends and family about his diagnosis, no one else.  No one else until today.  Now, he’s telling the world. 

This is his story:

“I was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, sometimes called Asperger’s, in my early 20s (I’m now 36).  I’m still coming to terms with this.  I was previously accustomed to thinking of myself as if my depression and social anxiety were closer to the core of my identity, and it took me about a decade to become more comfortable with thinking of those mainly as indirect consequences of my life with autism, and the way it has impacted my social experience.”

Michael and I sat down for 2 beautiful hours together over coffee on Monday, April 18^th. The first time Michael has talked about his diagnosis with a stranger.  We exchanged a few emails before meeting, that’s all.  You want to know what I learned about Michael?  As much as I could imagine in 2 hours.  Michael and I have the same taste in heavy metal music, Michael has been a vegetarian for 15 years, he loves his brother as much as anyone I’ve ever seen love a sibling.  He has dreams of writing and loves reading.  He cannot be defined by his diagnosis. 

“My autism is an invisible condition for the most part.  In a way, it’s invisible even to me.  I know next to nothing of the neurology or psychology of it.  I just am who I am, with my strengths and weaknesses, my idiosyncrasies.  I’ve ‘come out’ to a handful of people, and a typical response has been to say, ‘Your diagnosis is just a word to me, and it doesn’t change how I see you.’  But occasionally someone will seem surprised or skeptical and tell me about a strange or negative stereotype that I do not fit.”

Michael told me that he has seen people online use the words “Asperger’s” and “autistic” in demeaning, insulting ways.  Michael told me that he wonders about putting his face on that, and has tried to reduce his social media presence. 

“I think people usually don’t see me as neurodivergent; they probably see me as ‘odd’ or ‘offbeat’ or peculiar, in ways that are hard to pin down.  I’ve had people (children and rude adults) basically ask me point blank to explain why my voice and mannerisms are what they are: I seem a little flat and emotionless, or nervously self-concsious, or depressed and disengaged.  And although these impressions of me are sometimes accurate, they also leave out something important, which I haven’t completely figured out- but it’s probably where my autism comes in. I sense that I’m on a slightly different wavelength from most people, and have to struggle more to fit in, to seem comfortable with and attentive to the same things [as others].”

Here is how Michael describes his experience with OPG: “In 2015, my family and I worked out an arrangement with OPG that allows me to be a paid support person for my brother, while the two of us share our own living space. The arrangement has benefited all of us, and OPG deserves credit for its willingness to try something a bit unconventional. OPG has helped my brother realize his dream of living more independently, and in the process, OPG has helped me along in my pursuit of satisfying work, while simultaneously bringing greater peace of mind to our family. I consider myself extremely fortunate.”

If I could sum up our conversations, I would echo “different doesn’t have to mean worse or better in some absolute way.”

His name is Michael. 

​OPG self-advocate, Andrew Lyons, tells me how he always looks forward to Thanksgiving. “I like being with friends, and the laughter with family.” Thanksgiving usually consists of a more modest gathering for Andrew, but he recalls a memory from many years ago that he thinks back on fondly at this time of year. “We went to my great aunt and uncle’s house. I remember seeing everyone and smiling.”

As Andrew’s mind casts itself over all the “flavorful food” he enjoys at Thanksgiving, he tells me that there are three things he’s truly thankful for this year: “good health, fun with friends, and making memories.” This sentiment was echoed by fellow OPG self-advocate, Jessica Steuterman, who told me that what means the most to her at Thanksgiving is her mom and dad… and the food.

For 15 years, Dan Kahl has been serving Opportunities for Positive Growth, Inc. as its Chief Operating Officer. Alongside his wife and CEO, Gail Kahl, the duo has paved the way for how companies treat individuals with intellectual disabilities across the state of Indiana and beyond.

In 2010, Dan and Gail handed OPG over to their employees by turning the company into an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Since that time, qualified participants have been accruing stock due to their personal stake in the company. Further details of which can be found here.

I sat down with Dan to discuss his thought process behind turning OPG into an ESOP, the changes he’s witnessed over the years, and where he hopes the company goes in the future.

When and why did you join OPG?

My first day was in October 2002. I was looking for a new job and Gail talked me into joining the company. At the time, I really disliked my job. I looked at OPG as a cool way to own my own business and be an entrepreneur, and so I started doing both jobs. I’d come home at 5.30pm and work until midnight on the other job. Finally, a few months later, I gave my 2 weeks’ notice, scared to death, and joined OPG. It was a rough 6 months. 

Why did you choose to make OPG an ESOP?

Dan Kahl, Chief Operating Officer

Originally our board of directors only consisted of Gail and I, our two sons, and our attorney – who in 2006, started pushing us towards our succession plan. It came down to three options: we could sell it to somebody in the company, we could list it and sell it to the highest bidder, or we could go to an ESOP. It was very costly and policy heavy, but we looked at everything and that’s the route we decided to go.

We kept it secret from March 2010 until October 2010. It was a great opportunity for our employees, who we feel a lot of loyalty to; Gail and I built the company into what it is, but really, it’s our employees that do the job day-in day-out, so we thought it was a good fit.

Did you have any reservations about turning the company into an ESOP?

Oh yeah: the audits, the high cost. Obviously, it was money well spent, but it was at a time when the Department of Labor was very anti-ESOP. All ESOPs after the first year get a DoL audit, and ours went on for 44 months. After all that, I might have told you I don’t know if I would have done it again – it was brutal, the most difficult thing I’ve ever gone through in my business career. We weren’t being treated fairly. 

Since turning OPG into an ESOP, have you seen any significant change within the company and the people? 

I think it’s turned more positive. We have 133 plan participants in the ESOP, and those 133 people hold well over $1 million worth of stock. I think it encourages everybody to go out and do their job the best they can day-in and day-out – and if that’s what we do, we’ll be successful. 

The other thing that’s really important: our valuation has increased dramatically since 2010. It’s gone up by more than 200%. I think that the employees who receive their statements every year have come to realize that the money is real – they’ve got a really good appreciation of it. All you’re doing is getting a retirement income just for showing up to work. It doesn’t cost you anything. What a great deal.

What would you say are the key benefits for being an ESOP?

I think it creates a culture of creativity, of fiscal responsibility, pride, goal achievement, and of family. You really can’t buy that… you have to create it. It’s gratifying and absolutely worthwhile. 

What is the single most significant selling point of working for an ESOP company?

You’ll have a nice pile of retirement money that you can keep building on, but you have to be in it for the long run. That’s another reason why Gail and I decided to go the ESOP route; Gail’s first employee is still with her after 19 years. We recently conducted a study and found that the turnover rate for ESOP participants over a 5-year period is just 3%. It’s amazing. 

I’ve been shocked at the number of young people who really don’t take savings for granted. We have had young people leave the company who have decided to roll their investment into another qualifying plan, which tells me that they understand you have to start saving early for retirement. It’s very important. And it’s tax free!

As your retirement approaches, how does your succession plan tie into ESOP?

We decided to do 100% transfer of the ownership to ESOP – a lot of companies start out at 20%. When we leave we want the company to be in good fiscal shape, have leaders in place that will run OPG like Gail and I have, and I want to look at the ESOP as being healthy and solvent. 

One of the things that we’ve done is that if there’s something we don’t know, I can pick the phone up and call our trustee, I can call our valuation firm, I can call our legal office, and have an answer the same day. We’re very lucky to have incredible partnerships with the professionals that provide us services.

Where do you hope ESOP takes OPG in the future?

We’re still in our infancy as an ESOP and to say that we’ve got 133 people holding over a million dollars’ worth of stock is unbelievable. And if the company keeps performing as it has been there’s no reason why it couldn’t increase five-fold, ten-fold, who knows. So that’s pretty exciting.  

We have a lot of people in that 30 to 40-year-old range, so I’d like to come back in 20 years and watch those guys on their last day of work, signing off on their paperwork to get their stock and see how much they’ve got in their account. It’ll be incredible.

2017 ESOP Award Winning Poster

Since 2010, OPG has prided itself on its ESOP culture and how for the previous seven years it has been a part of every member of staff who passes through the doors to the company.  ESOP has not only transformed OPG as a business – with stock value consistently rising above each previous year – but the way in which staff are now no longer simply employees… they’re owners.

An unknown entity until 1974, ESOPs are now a considerable factor in the way more than 6,700 companies across the United States operate. With more than 14 million plan participants (roughly 130 of which at OPG), businesses across America are utilizing ESOP as a compelling employee benefits plan, looking after their workforce long into retirement and beyond.

Simply put, an ESOP company is partially owned by each member of staff who is 21 years of age, works at least 1,000 hours a year, and works at the company long enough to become vested. The more years you work, the higher your vesting level rises. And as the company’s stock valuation grows, so too does your wallet.

Craig White, OPG’s Chair of the Benefits Committee within ESOP, drives the processes we undertake as an ESOP, and has seen significant change in the company since the inception of the plan. “Culturally what’s happened is what was intended. We’re not just employees; we are the company. There’s a shift in thinking and behavior once you decide what being an owner means to you,” he explains.

Craig has worked at OPG for 16 years, being brought onto the leadership team by Gail Kahl (CEO) and Dan Kahl (CFO) seven years ago upon ESOP’s introduction. In that time, he has seen OPG go from strength to strength, with its share value rising from $8 to $29 a share. “The more plan participants we have, the better our company gets,” he says. “It’s really a game changer.”

Though the rules regulating ESOP and its distribution depend on a number of factors – most significantly being the level of an individual’s vesting – the underlying benefit is clear: “It’s free money. It’s your money.” Whether rolling it into a qualifying 401K, or taking a lump sum payment upon retirement (or before), an ESOP’s primary purpose is to help you live a better tomorrow.

While seeing OPG’s total stock value resting at $1.1 million is undeniably impressive, ESOP is more than just investing numbers – it’s investing in people. “We not only physically own the company, but there’s also an emotional piece when people realize they’re in it to win it. There’s a sense that I become the company – I am what OPG embodies,” Craig states.

Becoming a plan participant at OPG isn’t just about a pay check; it actively encourages both engagement and loyalty for a common cause amongst each fellow employee. Every role, every action, every minute that’s effectively utilized affects the bottom line – and your back pocket as a result. Due to ESOP, while working at OPG you’re not just building a future for yourself, but everyone else around you.

This sentiment goes hand-in-hand with the vision for OPG as a company. Michelle Steltz, Indiana Chapter President of ESOP, and OPG Benefits Committee member, understands the importance ESOP plays in the lifespan of the business, and individuals we support: “Because of ESOP, OPG could exist into eternity. Our continuity of supports is what drives our values, and fits into the spirit of what OPG is.”

ESOP is constantly evolving. National and regional conferences which take place each year, highlight ways in which companies, including OPG, can improve their service based on lessons learnt from both the good and the bad of fellow ESOP businesses. Networking develops key relationships and helps OPG’s Benefits Committee understand what it can do to better the lives of each plan participant.

Ultimately, OPG’s mission revolves around putting people first, and ESOP is a key element of that. As Craig says: “When Dan and Gail retire, people in the future won’t have a direct connection to them, but what they will have is gratitude because of what they did for the company and its employees with ESOP. Their history will live on through the ESOP and the people.”