The Wake Forest University Family Business Center and Business North Carolina magazine are offering people a chance to nominate a family business deserving of special recognition. Nominations for the 2010-11 North Carolina Family Business of the Year awards are being accepted at http://business.wfu.edu/fbc/awards.
The awards, in their third year, recognize the many companies in North Carolina that successfully combine business with family. Awards will be given in up to four categories: Small, Medium, and Large (based on number of employees), as well as a special Century Award category for family businesses that are at least 100 years old.
The deadline for nominations is Nov. 12, and the deadline for applications is Dec. 3. The Family Business Center encourages people to turn in their nominations early so that companies have time to complete their applications, which must be filled out completely, including the short-answer essay questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered for the award.
Finalists and winners will be notified in February, and the awards will be presented on Thursday, May 5, 2011 in Winston-Salem.
More than 150 people attended last year’s awards ceremony, which was held on May 6 at Discovery Place in Charlotte. John Allison was the keynote speaker. More than 100 companies were nominated for the awards, and faculty members from the Schools of Business served on the panel of judges.
Kathy Baker, director of the Wake Forest Family Business Center, is extremely pleased with the business community’s response to the annual event. This year’s Awards Patron level sponsors include BB&T, Dixon Hughes, Edwards Church & Muse, Fennebresque & Co., GenSpring Family Offices, PricewaterhouseCoopers, ReGeneration Partners, and Southern Community Bank & Trust.
“Our sponsor list is a ‘Who’s Who’ of trusted advisors to family businesses,” she said. And, Baker is excited about growing the tradition for the premiere family business recognition event in North Carolina.
"I have been overwhelmed by the success of our awards program, and I am even more excited about the prospects for our 2011 event. I am confident that family businesses across the state will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity," she said. "The awards program provides an opportunity to recognize our winning companies for their achievements in combining the best of family and business. But it also offers the opportunity to share a bigger story, which is about how family businesses have learned to maintain their values while creating value for their stakeholders, as well as making those core values an integral aspect of their operating practices."
The Family Business Center, established in 1999 under the Angell Center for Entrepreneurship in the Wake Forest University Schools of Business, addresses issues faced by closely held and family firms. The member-based organization uses the capabilities and educational resources at Wake Forest, in the community and beyond to provide closely held and family firms the assistance they need to grow and succeed from generation to generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment