EPCO Co., Ltd. (Head office: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; Group CEO and Representative Director: Tatsuyuki Iwasaki; securities code: 2311) announced that, as part of its efforts to strengthen investment in human capital, it has expanded its employee stock ownership plan by raising the incentive match rate from 10% to 20% and broadening eligibility to include employees of the company and its subsidiaries. EPCO’s core businesses are BPO services such as housing equipment design, after-sales maintenance, and renewable energy equipment installation. The company recognizes that its business and corporate value are fundamentally driven by its people. In EPCO’s operations, each employee’s expertise, service quality, and proactive involvement in business improvement are directly linked to customer satisfaction and profitability, making investment in human capital a key management priority. The employee stock ownership plan is positioned as an important mechanism that enables employees to adopt a shareholder perspective and experience corporate growth as their own achievement, thereby strengthening their sense of ownership. According to the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s “FY2024 Survey on Employee Stock Ownership Plans,” an incentive match rate of around 10% of employee contributions is common among companies. By raising its rate to 20%, far above the general market level, EPCO aims to further enhance returns to employees and share the results of corporate growth with them. Under the revised plan, the incentive match rate will increase from 10% to 20%; the incentive amount per 1,000 yen contribution unit will rise from 100 yen to 200 yen; and eligible participants will expand from EPCO employees to employees of EPCO and its subsidiaries. The monthly contribution limit is 50,000 yen. The revised plan will apply from contributions made in June 2026. The expansion also extends eligibility to group employees, including those at ENE’s, a wholly owned subsidiary of EPCO. Through this change, the com