Excellence in

Family Business Awards

Every year since 1988, the Center for Family Enterprise has recognized family businesses that exemplify the values we foster in our work: harmony, generational development, leadership and growth.

Our Excellence in Family Business Awards program is the only one of its kind in the region. Each year, we’re proud to honor the tremendous work of family businesses and the positive impact they make on their communities and beyond.

Our award winners are proud and honored to be recognized and grateful for the chance to take a moment to celebrate their success.

Nominate a Family Business

You can help us celebrate family businesses in the region when you nominate one for our Excellence in Family Business Awards.

All family businesses who are nominated for an award will be invited to complete an application and participate in a judging day once their nomination is received. 

Any family-centric business — e.g., with multiple family members or generations involved in strategic direction, business continuity, succession, management or simply employment — is welcome to apply. Nominations are open year-round.

Nominate a business

2022 Winners


Andersen Construction

Andersen Construction CEO Joel Andersen credits his father, Chairman of the Board David Andersen, for teaching him the values that have guided the company for generations. Instead of chasing volume or money, the pursuit is to be the builder of choice. By adhering to its core values, Andersen’s growth became inherent.

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Joseph Baniqued

Joseph Baniqued returned home when campuses closed at the onset of the global pandemic. But as he settled into remote learning, Baniqued also found himself in a real-world test of his business acumen.

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The Maletis Family and Oregon Fruit Products

Taking a heritage fruit company into the future while honoring a family’s legacy is one of the reasons the Maletis family and Oregon Fruit Products were chosen as winners of the Business Renewal award in our Center for Family Enterprise’s 2022 Excellence in Family Business Awards.

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Alyrica Networks

It’s 1 a.m., and there’s an outage affecting customers of Ayrica Networks, Inc., an internet access provider serving the mid-Willamette Valley. Ask the person being called out in the middle of the night to climb a tower and fix the problem what the company culture is like, and they’ll probably say, “We’re happy to help.”

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The Papé Group, Inc.

What started in 1938 as a single, family-run equipment dealership in Eugene has become a trusted powerhouse for heavy equipment and technology solutions across industries and geography. Papé is a household name to companies in industries throughout the West as varied as construction, agriculture and forestry (to name just a few).

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Learn more about our past winners:


Lithia Motors, Inc.

Lithia Motors has been dedicated to making communities better places to live, work and play for 75 years, and earns the 2021 Dean’s Award for Family Business Leadership.

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Ausland Group

Husband and wife, Aaron and Kelsy Ausland, had a vision: a company that integrated architecture, engineering and construction.

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Green Acres Landscape

What began in 1992 with Rich and his best friend mowing lawns based out of a garage has evolved into a full-service residential and commercial operation with more than 100 employees.

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TEC Equipment

David Thompson started buying and selling used trucks out of a small building in Portland in 1976. From a single operator, TEC Equipment, Inc., has grown to one of Oregon’s largest private employers.

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Madison Ulven Buckley ‘20

Bring on the hot steel. 2021 Family Business Student Of The Year Madison Buckley is prepared for her new role.

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Heritage Specialty Foods

New beginnings, a chance meeting, an unlikely cast and tragedy make up the story of how two families came together to form a successful Portland specialty food business.

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Sisters Coffee Company

A lot of companies go through the motions without digging down to expose what they truly believe because they’re afraid of what they might find; but not Sisters Coffee Company. That’s one of the reasons the company was selected as the 2019 winner for Business Renewal.

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Award Categories

Family Harmony: Family members actively work to build connections and create a shared purpose with one another, and show a high level of trust, unity and well developed personal relationships.

Generational Leadership: The family demonstrates active and thoughtful personal and professional development of the next generation of both family and business leaders.

Business Renewal: The family works to ensure stewardship of the business that sustains growth and shareholders assets with future generations in mind.

Past award winners >

 

Sponsor the 2023 event

If you are interested in learning about sponsoring our 2023 event, visit our sponsorship opportunties.