Smith & Gesteland: Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award nominees announced

For additional information contact Neil Fauerbach, Director of Marketing

Smith & Gesteland, LLP

608-828-3110 – neil.fauerbach@sgcpa.com

MADISON, WI APRIL 19, 2011: An award honoring family businesses in Wisconsin has drawn nominations from across the state. 15 companies are competing for the Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award in three categories. Awards will be given to Small (1-49 employees), Medium (50-99), and Large (100+) companies.

Nominees represent first through fourth generation companies and include a dinner theatre, general contractors, eldercare management, a winery, and several food processing companies. The oldest company started operations in 1907 and the newest in 1999. The nominees are:

A to Z RentAll and Sales and Event Essentials – Madison
Botham Vineyards, Inc. – Barneveld
C.G. Schmidt, Inc. – Milwaukee
ElderSpan Management, LLC – Madison
The Employer Group – Verona
The Fireside Dinner Theatre – Fort Atkinson
Hellenbrand, Inc. – Waunakee
Hunzinger Construction Company – Brookfield
KEVA Sports – Middleton
Lodi Sausage Co. & Meat Market – Lodi
Rockweiler Insulation, Inc. – Verona
Silver Spring Foods, Inc. – Eau Claire
Standard Process – Palmyra
Steve’s Wine Beer Spirits – Madison
Stoughton Trailers, LLC – Stoughton

The winners will be selected by a panel of independent judges based on criteria including: positive links between family and business, contribution to community and industry, and innovative practices. The winners will be announced at a banquet on May 5th at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton. The banquet is open to the public as well as the nominees.
According to a study by the Family Firm Institute, family-owned businesses comprise 80 to 90% of all businesses in North America. The study also showed that Family firms are optimistic, even in the grips of the current economic situation. They have had a significant rise in female leadership. Twenty four percent of companies in the survey were lead by women, compared to 2.5% of Fortune 500 firms. They generate 60% of the country’s employment and 78% of all new job creation. They are also less likely to lay off employees during bad economic times, adding to stability in their communities.

The award program was developed by Smith & Gesteland, a Madison-based CPA and consulting firm. Other co-sponsors are Associated Bank and the law firm DeWitt Ross & Stevens. All three companies are founding sponsors of the University of Wisconsin – Madison Family Business Center and have a focus of serving family businesses.

For more information on the program and the banquet you can call Neil Fauerbach at 608-836- 7500, by email at neil.fauerbach@sgcpa.com, or visit http://www.familybusinessaward.com.