Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal • May 9, 2016 www.wbjournal.com FOCUS Family Business Awards F amily businesses – whether they were found- ed more than 100 years ago or in the last two years – are unique to the economic landscape. Like all companies, they must generate reve- nue and achieve enough profits on a consis- tent basis to remain in business year after year, but they have a deeper commitment beyond dollars and cents. Family businesses have a commitment to each other, their employees and their community that reflects the strong ties and values they were founded upon. Yet, while family values can remain relatively steady, the economic landscape is constantly changing. In order to survive – like all businesses – family-run companies must evolve with the times to stay ahead of the competi- tion and still hold onto the values that makes them unique. This can mean closing during special times to give employees extra time off to spend with their own families even while competitors remain open, and it can mean giving customers that extra bit of attention in a time where personal service is slowly fading away. Like family-run operations, Worcester Business Journal must change with the times. To this end, we have modified our Family Business Awards this year. Previously, we honored a handful of companies – usu- ally four or five – as winners of these awards. Unfortunately, this meant many worthy family busi- nesses went unrecognized in these pages and at our awards ceremony. It had gotten to the point where the backlog of companies we wanted to honor had grown to several dozen. So, this year – much like the Academy Awards – we are announcing only the finalists for our Family Business Awards in these pages; 10 companies that stood out from the rest. Then, at our event on May 25 in Boylston, we will announced the winners of each of the four categories, which includes a new category for companies founded less than five years ago. We also will give out additional awards to family businesses that have gone above and beyond for philanthropy, innova- tion and maintaining their family values in the face of increasing market competition. To find out these win- ners, we invite you to either attend the event or keep an eye out for our digital update on May 26. - Brad Kane, editor FAMILY BUSINESS A W A R D S C E N T R A L M A S S . 2016

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