Recognize need to be part of only statewide group focusing solely on family businesses

Five more companies have recently joined the Family Business Association of California, the only statewide organization that solely focuses on the impacts of new laws and regulations on family businesses.

Joining the Association during the first quarter of the year were Pini Hardware, a 100-year-old retailer based in Novato; Shubert’s Ice Cream and Candy, a Chico-based store marking its 80th anniversary this year; Peter Boysen Realty of Linden, established in 1979; Rediger Labor Law, a Sacramento firm founded in 1999; and Hemphill Solutions, a Carlsbad-based commercial real estate consulting and engagement firm established in 2001.

Pini Hardware: The company was established as a small grocery in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Henry Pini. The Young family became the third family to own Pini’s when they purchased what was by then a hardware store in 1968. The second- and third-generation of Youngs now own and manage the business. Russ Young, the CFO and treasurer, said like most family businesses, the company is deeply involved in Novato.

“We are a community-based business and are heavily involved in local events and give back to our community and schools. Some of the events we do are a Christmas Tree lighting, Scream on the Green on Halloween, and School Fuel, a fundraiser for public schools. And we pride ourselves on being one of the last full-service hardware stores around,” he said.

“Family businesses, big or small, are the cornerstone of this nation. We are what keep the economy strong and growing, and family businesses have been mistreated and misunderstood by today’s society and our local, state, and federal government for far too long. It is time for a change, which is one of the reasons that we joined the FBA to see how we can help make that change.”

Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy: Leonard C. Shubert left Montana in 1938 at the age of 54 to find a location in California for an ice cream store. Highway 99 led him to Chico and he decided it was the right place. The company has been in the same location since it opened and even still uses one of Leonard Shubert’s original ice cream-making machines. In 2008, as the store was marking its 70th anniversary, it was named one of the two best ice cream stores in the country by ABC’s Good Morning America.

Kasey Reynolds and her brother, Nathan Pulliam, are the fourth-generation owners of the store. Like many sons and daughters of a family business owner, Reynolds at first wasn’t interested in staying at home. “I did go off and do corporate America for a while and it made me appreciate what we have in a family business,” she said.

She joined FBA because she believes small businesses need a bigger voice. “I decided I needed to get involved and do what I can to preserve family businesses for the future,” she said. She also announced in January that she will be a candidate for the Chico City Council this year.


Peter Boysen Realty: The Linden-based firm was founded in 1979 and now has 10 agents, including Peter and Rance Boysen, Peter’s son. As is often the case, for many years while growing up Rance wasn’t interested in joining his dad’s company.

“I never wanted to be in real estate. I said ‘never’ many times growing up,” he recalled. But after a few years as a farm manager after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1997, he reconsidered.  “I wanted to be more than just an employee. I wasn’t having fun. My Dad said he could use some help,” and he soon discovered he enjoyed the new career.

He decided to join FBA after hearing the Association’s Chairman, Ken Monroe, owner of Holt of California, talk on a podcast about the challenges facing family businesses. “I got to thinking, you know – we are a small family business. I think it’s important to do what can be done to help family businesses succeed. Family businesses should be helped in whatever way possible.”

Rediger Labor Law: Attorney Robert Rediger had been a successful labor and employment law attorney for nearly 20 years when he decided to start his own firm in 1999 – and he has since inspired a second generation of family members to join the firm. The firm focuses on traditional labor law, employment law, and related litigation, including defending companies against wage- and-hour class-action lawsuits.

He said daughters Candice and Arielle and son Justin decided on their own to join the firm after graduating from UC Berkeley and from three different law schools. “They said, ‘you’re always excited about your profession and enjoy your job.’ They studied a variety of different areas in law school, but found they enjoyed labor and employment law. When they graduated, I said ‘our firm could use some excellent attorneys,’” he recalled.

Advantages a family firm have include being able to trust people you’re working with and the opportunity to discuss ideas and brainstorm legal strategies with each other outside of the workplace. “Family businesses are also more solid and stable,” he added. “They’re often more conscientious because they have the family’s reputation on the line.”

Hemphill Solutions: The firm was established in 2001 and advises independent businesses on the real estate component of their enterprises, helping clients develop real estate solutions that save costs, reduce liabilities, and maximize operational flexibility.

Ralph Hemphill has more than 30 years’ experience in real estate and private equity and is the firm’s senior advisor while his wife, Katherine, is the broker/manager. He said they joined FBA to share expertise with other family business owners about issues they face.

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About the Family Business Association of California (FBA): Founded in 2012, the Family Business Association of California is the only organization working exclusively at the Capitol to educate lawmakers and regulators about the importance of family businesses to the state’s economy and to their communities – and to advocate positions on legislation and regulations. For more information, visit www.myfba.org.

 

 

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