HOUSTON TX - Construction software developer HCSS has received an Innovations in Employee Ownership Award, administered jointly by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) and the Beyster Institute (BI). HCSS is one of only three organizations to receive the annual award, which recognizes creative ideas that help make employee ownership stronger and publicizes those ideas so that others may learn from them. HCSS President Mike Rydin accepted the honor during the organizations' 2008 Employee Ownership Conference held recently in Chicago.

HCSS, which develops construction field management, estimating and resource management software, has been an employee-owned company since 1998. At that time, Rydin sold 25 percent of the company to employees via an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) with the goal of motivating HCSS employees to think and act like owners.

HCSS now has a three-tier approach to employee ownership with annual cash profit sharing, Stock Appreciation Rights (SARS) and ESOP. Through these tools, employees are rewarded financially for the positive impact they have on the company and are able to see how their work affects company performance. For the past 10 years, employees have received substantial profit sharing, both in cash and ESOP stock.

The National Center for Employee Ownership (www.nceo.org) is a private, nonprofit membership and research organization created to provide accurate, unbiased information on ESOPs, equity compensation plans such as stock options and ownership culture. The Beyster Institute's (www.beysterinstitute.org) mission is to advance the use of entrepreneurship and employee ownership to build strong, higher performing enterprises nationally and internationally. It is part of the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego.

The Innovations Award is the latest in a series of honors and recognition that HCSS has received from the business community, both locally and nationally. HCSS has been included in several rankings compiled by the Houston Business Journal: largest software development companies, technology employers and Houston Fast 100 ranking of the area's fastest-growing private companies. HCSS was also ranked sixth in the Best Companies to Work for in Texas competition, published in the February 2008 issue of Texas Monthly magazine.