FERNDALE, Wash. – Western Refinery Services, Inc. (WRS) has entered into an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), CEO Ryan Likkel announced.

In late 2025, Likkel – who at the time owned WRS outright – announced to the company that WRS would enter into an ESOP, and in 2026, WRS officially became an employee-owned company.

“I made the decision to turn WRS into an employee-owned company because it’s never been about any one individual - it’s always been all about the people,” Likkel said. “Our people make WRS what it is, so it felt right to put the company into the hands of the people who built it and continue to build it by living out our values every day.”

At WRS, the people are the strength of the company. The employees understand the importance of being a team, all with different skillsets, working toward the same common goal. The values of Character, Chemistry, & Competency make up WRS’s identity, and Likkel knew that one of the best ways to preserve that identity through the years was to enter into an ESOP, ensuring the people of WRS always come first.

“This is how we preserve the culture of what’s been built,” Likkel said. “It’s one way to ensure that, at its core, WRS remains about the people.”

Under an ESOP, WRS employees earn company shares each year without out-of-pocket costs. This means that every single employee has a vested interest in the health of the company.

Over the years, WRS has seen growth, due in large part to the can-do attitude it was founded on.

“WRS is where it is today because of all the people who have helped build the company, so I’m excited about all of the people being able to benefit from what they’ve built,” Likkel said.

Likkel’s decision to hand ownership of the company over to its employees stemmed from plenty of thought into WRS’s future and long-term success – both for the business itself and the people he cares for deeply.

“I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of WRS and how the decisions we make now will impact our people,” Likkel said. “Although I’m still years away from considering retirement, succession plans take time, so I wanted to start that long before it was needed. I’m grateful to be able to hand company ownership over to our people and get to be part of both the transition and the new chapter of WRS for years to come.”

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About WRS: Western Refinery Services, Inc. (WRS) is a specialty contractor based in Ferndale, Wash. with offices in Ferndale and Nampa, Idaho, specializing in civil construction, commercial and residential asphalt paving and maintenance, industrial maintenance, land-leveling, demolition, and more. Since 1982, WRS has been the community’s trusted problem-solvers, led by a team of experts in their fields. In 2026, CEO Ryan Likkel officially handed over ownership of the company to its employees in the form of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).