Glenwood, MN, two hours northwest of Minneapolis, is quintessential small-town America. It’s here, in this town of just 2,500 people on the banks of Lake Minnewaska, that Counselor Power 50 member Larry Zavadil founded Counselor Top 40 distributor ASB (asi/120075) in 1981, and it remains the base of company operations, 45 years and 300 employees later.

“We think of our company as Mayberry,” says Miriah Cassidy, vice president of operations. “Even as we expand across the U.S. and into Canada and Europe, we don’t want to lose that small feeling.”

Members of ASB’s management team. Front row, from left: Taylor Borst, vice president of vendor relations, marketing & events; Michael Schmitz, director of e-commerce; Dana Zezzo, vice president of strategic growth; and Sarah Louden, vice president of human resources. Back row, from left: Justin Zavadil, president; Amy Spychalla, vice president of strategic operations support; Bill Finley, vice president of finance; Miriah Cassidy, vice president of operations; and Larry Zavadil, CEO.

In her nearly 20 years with the company, Cassidy has steadily moved up the corporate ladder, from customer service to now overseeing operations and strategy. While her responsibilities have evolved and the number of people she manages has grown, one thing hasn’t changed – the culture of flexibility and mutual respect at ASB that’s been fostered from day one.

“We want to make sure team members have time with family,” says Cassidy. “So, if someone’s daughter has a basketball game in the afternoon, they’ll go to the game. If someone’s son is in a school play in the middle of the day, they’ll go to the show. Or maybe someone’s parent needs care. And when people take time for their family, they’re not penalized for it. Back at the office, we take care of things for them, so they’re not coming back to a stressful situation.”

Managers also support their people to think about how things could be done differently. “We’re encouraged to make change,” says Cassidy. “It’s not, ‘Here’s how we do it, and this is how we’ll continue to do it in the future.’ We want to find the best solutions to create the best environment for our employees and the industry.”

ASB also has an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and recently shortened the amount of time before an employee is vested. The company hosts education sessions for employees, including “ESOP Month” devoted to information sharing, and maintains an ESOP committee of employees that goes to conferences and comes back to impart essential learnings with the rest of the team.

“With every decision made, it’s about their own future too, their retirement,” says Cassidy. “Everyone is an owner, and they take that seriously.”

Marci Henke, who’s been part of sales support for nearly 40 years, appreciates the company’s summer picnics and seasonal events for local employees, as well as ASB’s national conference and, of course, the ESOP. “We all share responsibility for ASB’s success, and we all reap the benefits,” she says of the program. “A co-worker once said it best: We have a retirement plan just by getting a paycheck.”

President Justin Zavadil delivers a company update at ASB’s 2025 National Conference in Palm Springs, CA.

Other events that encourage ownership and participation are town halls hosted by management to give the home office and owner network updates on the state of the company.

“We’re very clear about expectations and what’s coming down the pike,” says Cassidy. “We make better decisions as a whole when we all know what’s going on. We’re very transparent, and that’s second nature for us.”

When it comes to hiring at the home office in Glenwood, Cassidy says they look for an “amoeba mentality” to be able to roll comfortably with change.

“We dig into core competencies,” says Cassidy, “but we also want them to be adaptable to changing situations. Trust is another attribute – not just that they’ll show up to work, but that they’ll make the right decision for the right season, even when it’s not easy.”

Before hiring anyone new, ASB invites them to come to the office in downtown Glenwood and make sure it’s a good fit.

“We want them to spend time with the team before making a decision,” says Cassidy. “The majority of the time, it seals the deal.”