Meet the former Van Meter Employee-Owner spreading agape love
How an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) has blessed a small Iowa community
If you’ve been to a wedding recently, you might have heard about three types of love – eros, philos and agape. The last one, agape, means unconditional, sacrificial love – the kind of love felt by a person willing to do anything for another.
While marriage is one example of agape love, former Van Meter employee-owner Ed Hubble is spreading agape love in a different way. This is how he’s serving his community of Sigourney, IA, through a free store called the Agape Shoppe and how a unique retirement benefit at Van Meter made it possible.
(L-R) Patricia Hubble (secretary), Anna Ross (niece), Ed Hubble, Sue Ross (president), Joe Hohenshell (treasurer), Candy Hohenshell (board member) outside the Agape Shoppe in Sigourney, IA
SHARING THE BLESSINGS OF EMPLOYEE-OWNERSHIP
Hubble worked for Van Meter from 1997 until he retired in 2018. For him and his wife, Patricia, their investment of time and money into the Agape Shoppe was possible because of Van Meter’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
Van Meter is 100% employee owned, and the ESOP is a retirement plan where all employees own shares in the company. In addition to a 401(k), it’s a huge benefit towards retiring earlier and living comfortably in retirement. Nationwide, 91% of ESOP workers feel they can live comfortably in retirement compared to 49% of non-ESOP retirees.
The Hubbles wanted to do more than just live comfortably though. The ESOP gave them an opportunity to help others live comfortably too. “There’s no way we could do this and live the way we do without that ESOP and the blessings we continue to get on a daily basis,” said Hubble.
How did the ESOP help launch the Agape Shoppe, and what is a ‘free store?’ The Agape Shoppe, which held its grand opening June 22, 2024, is a judgment free, non-profit store where anyone who is financially struggling can find clothing and household goods. They don’t even have to provide their name when checking out, just the community they’re from. Hubble co-founded and operates the store alongside his wife, Patricia, Sue Ross, Joe Hohenshell, Candy Hohenshell and Richard Gaffield. Their goal is for the store to truly belong to the community.
It took months of hard work to get the store ready for operation. Because Hubble has the financial security his ESOP provides, he was able to invest his time and money into upgrading the store with new walls, flooring, carpeting, ceilings and more.
The inside of the shop before renovations
Cutting the ribbon after months of renovations
How did he budget his investment? “You just have to understand what it’s going to cost you to live on a monthly basis and share your blessings with others,” he said.
CONTINUING A LEGACY OF COMMUNITY IMPACT
While the ESOP is a cornerstone of Van Meter’s culture, so is giving back to its communities. For Hubble, this was a way to continue creating lasting value for those who need it most.
“I think it’s just Van Meter’s emphasis on people helping people”
– Ed Hubble, Retiree
Van Meter Inc.
“I think it’s just Van Meter’s emphasis on people helping people,” he said. “My wife and I have always had a desire to help those less fortunate than us because we didn’t grow up with much.”
The Agape Shoppe is open Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 to 5:00, and Hubble works at the shop both days. He estimates they average 40-60 customers per day, and he said the donations have been overwhelmingly positive.
While some people might view retirement as a relief from the grind of working, Hubble never saw his job as a burden.
“The old cliché is ‘enjoy what you’re doing because if you enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said. “I enjoyed what I did at Van Meter tremendously, and I was blessed to surround myself with good people and work for a good company.”
Now, he’s just doing what he was called to do. “All of this has revolved around praying and understanding what God wanted me to do,” he said.
The result? He’s continuing to create lasting value in his community.
SUPPORT THE AGAPE SHOPPE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT EMPLOYEE-OWNERSHIP
If you would like to support the Agape Shoppe, you can send donations to Agape Shoppe, P.O. Box 101, Sigourney, IA, 52591, and you can follow Agape Shoppe on Facebook. To learn more about what it means to be an employee-owner and discover career opportunities at Van Meter, visit our careers page.