Family-Owned Businesses
By Miranda Ericsson & Lisa Loewen
Photos by John Burns
Family-owned businesses, ones where private life and work life are intertwined, may be the oldest form of business organization. In rural areas, farms were family businesses passed down through generations. In urban settings, it was normal for a shopkeeper to live in the same building in which he or she worked and family members often helped with the business.
These businesses may include numerous combinations of family members in various business roles, including husbands and wives, parents and children, siblings, and in-laws playing the roles of working partners, stockholders, advisors and employees. Meet three local companies that are making business a family affair.
