Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1387295
34 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 28, 2021 Family Business Awards 2021 M itchell Auto Group is a car dealership and service provider with several locations in Greater Hartford. How has your company shifted its strategy during the pandemic? The company has enhanced its pick-up and delivery system by adding drivers and extra loaner one year one year anniversary! anniversary! THANK YOU to our incredibly hard working team members and vendors for making our 1st year a success! Be sure to visit us the weekend of 6/25 for our learn more about our festivities at parkvillemarket.com/1year P arkville Market is the first food hall in Connecticut, home to 20 unique restaurants, three bars, indoor and outdoor dining, a specialty grocery shop and more. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. Parkville Market opened in May 2020, in the height of the pandemic, and over the last year we have supported 20 restaurants in opening a new business or expanding to another location at our food hall — all Connecticut small businesses that are owner-operated. The market and these businesses have created over 125 jobs in Hartford and persevered through a C lassic Turf Co. manufactures, designs and installs sports facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts and running tracks. Classic Turf Company pioneered the use of post-tension concrete technology in the New England region. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. I was recently issued a post- tension running-track patent by the United States Patent Office. I am a Level 1 and Level 2 Unbonded Post- Industry: Construction Year Founded: 1996 (in 1980, under different name, "Play Clay") Founder: Tumer H. Eren Generation Running Company: Second Full-Time Employees: 5 Part-Time Employees: 20 Family Members Employed at Company: Tumer H. Eren, President; John R. Eren, Vice President - Tumer's son; Kathryn (Kate) A. Eren, Director of Finance - John's wife Company Website: www.classicturf.org Mitchell Auto Group Industry: Automotive Retail Year Founded: 1922 Founder: Robert Pringle, Walter & Mary Mitchell Generation Running Company: Third Full-Time Employees: 210 Part-Time Employees: 40 Family Members Employed at the Company: Mark A. Mitchell, President - Grandson of founder; Steven S. Mitchell, Vice President - Brother to Mark; Jill A. Mitchell Gettinger, Community Manager - Daughter to Mark; Aaron Gettinger, VW General Manager - Husband of Jill and Son-in-law to Mark; Dennis Mitchell, Transportation - Cousin to Mark and Steven Company Website: mitchellautogroup.com 1ST PLACE | CATEGORY: 200+ FULL TIME EMPLOYEES CATEGORY: RISING STAR AWARD 1ST PLACE | CATEGORY: COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD vehicles to serve our clients during these times, as well as instituting COVID-safe protocols. What are your family values and how do they contribute to your business success? Our company directors have been with us for over 50 years of combined service. Thanks to them, our company has shown stable, charted growth. The average length of service in our company is 11.4 years! We are a company committed to our employees and their families. Where do you see your business in the next five years? We will have completed our moves and building projects. In this timeframe, we will have added the Jeep franchise and completed three new dealerships. With the advent of electric cars, we will be adding EV charging stations throughout each campus. Technology will serve us better with automated check-in kiosks for service customers. Parkville Market Industry: Real Estate & Hospitality Year Founded: 2019 Founder: Carlos Mouta Generation Running Company: First & Second Full-Time Employees: 5 Part-Time Employees: 25+ Family Members Employed at Company: Carlos Mouta, Owner & Founder; Chelsea Mouta, Director of Operations – Carlos' daughter Company Website: www. parkvillemarket.com challenging winter without a single restaurant closing. We're also thrilled to have welcomed over 75,000 guests at the Market in the month of April, bringing new visitors from all over the state to Parkville and Hartford. Where do you see your business in the next five years? Parkville Market has plans to expand into the three remaining buildings on the property to create a total of 60,000 square feet of food, beverage, entertainment and events space. It will be an indoor/outdoor experience that doubles down on our mission to celebrate Connecticut and Hartford businesses. Plans include a local brewery and distillery, as well as more restaurant kiosks, a large event space and a rooftop bar. John Eren, Classic Turf Company LLC Tension Inspector certified by the Post-Tensioning Institute, as well as a Certified Tennis Court Builder by the American Sport Builders Association, with plans to pursue a professional engineering license. Where do you see your business in the next five years? We are in growth mode and we are not going to stop. The call for sports facilities in both the public and private sectors is at an all-time high. We plan on hiring additional office staff personnel and field workers over the next few years to meet these needs. Who has been your biggest influence? There is no question that my father is my inspiration, influence and mentor. He created something out of nothing — he seized an opportunity to start our business and truly lives Classic Turf's fundamental core values that have remained constant as our business continues to evolve.