Yahara Bay Distillery of Madison and Moyer’s Landscaping of Stoughton were among nine family businesses honored Thursday evening during the 12th annual Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award banquet.
The two Dane County companies took home special awards for excelling in a particular area — Yahara Bay earned the “Spirits of Madison” award and Moyer’s Landscaping was cited for “Deep Family Roots.” They were among six family businesses statewide to receive special citations.
The Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Awards recognize the contributions of family businesses to their communities and to the Wisconsin economy. In addition to the special awards, three grand awards were presented in three size categories: large (200+ employees); medium (100-199 employees); and small (under 100 employees).
Grand Awards went to the following employers:
- C.G. Schmidt Inc., Milwaukee, Large Company
- Breuer Metal Craftsmen, Beaver Dam, Medium Company
- Gellings Implement Inc., Eden, Small Company
Other special awards (in quotation marks) were earned by the following businesses:
- Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Wisconsin Dells, “Fire Driven Passion”
- Milk Source LLC, Kaukauna, “Innovation and Sustainability”
- Nasonville Dairy, Marshfield, “You Feta Believe”
- Stan’s Fit for Your Feet, Milwaukee, “Sole of the Family”
Overall, 30 companies were nominated for the awards, and an independent panel of judges selected the winners.
Julie Bogle, lead partner in the family business practice at Smith & Gesteland, a Madison-based CPA and business consulting firm and the award’s founding sponsor, noted that family businesses are excelling in this economy. “Their patience and resilience has allowed them to come out of the recession with momentum,” Bogle stated in a press release. “They continue to act as leaders in their communities.”
In addition to Smith & Gesteland, award sponsors include First Business Bank and the law firm of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek.
