Consolidated Shoe Co., Inc. Named 2008 Employee Ownership Month Poster Contest Winner

WASHINGTON, May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consolidated Shoe Co., Inc., an employee owned company located in Lynchburg, Virginia, has been selected by The ESOP Association as its 2008 Employee Ownership Month Poster Contest Winner. The winning poster design was unveiled at the Association's 31st Annual Conference in Washington, DC in front of over 300 guests. The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and the leading voice in America for employee ownership.

Founded in 1898, Consolidated Shoe Co. is a leader in the shoe design industry and works with a global network of designers to produce innovative footwear and reinvent classic styles. Consolidated Shoe Co. has five unique shoe brands and covers all segments of the market. For additional information about Consolidated Shoe Co., please visit the website at http://www.consolidatedshoe.com/.

Consolidated Shoe Co.'s poster was selected because of the idea it expressed: Take Ownership - Employee Ownership Month 2008. The poster design features two hands grasping for a relay baton and will be used by the Association to promote employee ownership month, which takes place every October, and is a celebration of the incredible spirit of employee ownership. Given 2008 is the year of the Olympics, the powerful symbol of cooperation required to pass a baton while going full speed is timely.

The core cause of The ESOP Association is the belief that employee ownership will improve American competitiveness, increase productivity through greater employee participation, and strengthen our free enterprise economy.