News

Contact: Gail Ribalta
210.558.1902
gribalta@edvanceresearch.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2009

EDVANCE RESEARCH, INC. REWARDS EMPLOYEES WITH STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN

San Antonio Today, Edvance Research Inc. announced that the company has formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and has joined the growing list of companies whose employees are stockholders. The employees will own a percentage of the Company over a period of years.

Company spokeswoman, Gail Ribalta, Executive Vice President stated, "As the founders of Edvance Research begin thinking about retirement in the future, it seemed only right to us that it should be sold to the employees. Without the loyalty, dedication and hard work of this valued group of individuals, we certainly would not have grown as successfully as we have." Ribalta stated that the six Company founders would stay with Edvance through the employee buy-out period, which will be over the next decade or so.

"The Plan has two objectives," Dr. Dean Nafziger, CEO of Edvance Research indicated. "First, our plan is to sell ownership held by the Company founders without a sale to outside interests, and secondly, to enable employees to share in ownership of the company they helped to build. The result of the plan should be to increase employee incentives and to provide employees with enhanced long-term retirement benefits."

By owning a stake in their companies, workers in ESOPs have gained access to a privilege that historically was reserved for a wealthy elite. At Edvance, Nafziger hopes the ESOP will avert turnover and encourage employees to continue to suggest ways to improve company productivity. He stated, "We would prefer to see a motivated group of employees, rather than an outsider, eventually buy the firm. We now have close to 50 employees and are continuing to grow. "

ESOPs have been around since 1974, and Edvance turned to Menke & Associates, Inc., a San Francisco-based firm specializing in Employee Stock Ownership Plans to guide them in the establishment of the plan. Some 12,000 companies have adopted ESOPs since they began, and over 80% cater to small, privately owned businesses (fewer than 150 employees).

Founded in 2005, Edvance Research, Inc. is a women and minority, employee owned business, specializing in rigorous product and market research, in the education market. Edvance Research is dedicated to improving outcomes by supporting organizations in learning about evidence-based practices and using that information to improve their work and results. Edvance runs the Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest for the U.S. Department of Education/Institute of Education Sciences. Other key clients of Edvance include the Texas Education Agency and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Edvance Research is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas www.edvanceresearch.com