Rayser Holdings, a Cedar Rapids-based employee-owned holding company, announced it was named the 2024 National Employee Owned Company of the Year by the national ESOP Association. Its family of companies includes Des Moines-Winterset Memorials and Keltek Inc. in Baxter. The award, which was presented in Washington, D.C., during the ESOP Association’s National Conference earlier this month, is given to a company that “excels at engaging its employee owners,” according to the ESOP Association’s website. “This recognition reaffirms our belief in the power of employee ownership to empower individuals, strengthen our businesses, and enhance our communities,” said Michelle Jensen, Rayser Holdings president and CEO, in a prepared statement.