University of Vermont
09/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/29/2024 22:07
2024 Vermont Legacy and Family Enterprise Award Winners Commemorated at Grossman School of Business
The University of Vermont (UVM) Grossman School of Business (Grossman School) honored four businesses on Friday, September 27, 2024 at the 13th edition of theVermont Legacy & Family Enterprise Awards. The ceremony celebrated enterprises that excel in their innovative practices, corporate governance, and contributions to their communities and industries.
Each year, an open call for nominations is made and selected companies are invited to apply. Submitted applications were reviewed by a judging committee composed of past winners of these awards, including Archana Chaudhary, Molly Heaney, Jen Fleckenstein, Paul Ligon, and Steve Schlesinger. Dr. Pramodita "Dita" Sharma, University Distinguished Professor and Schlesinger-Grossman Chair of Family Business, at the Grossman School of Business, served as the non-voting Chair.
"Each winner celebrated this year demonstrates an exceptional commitment to sustainability and community values. While Bead Industries is run by the fifth generation of family leaders, OnLogic - our celebrated Vermont Legacy Award winner - is led by the founders. Cascade Engineering and Supreme Creations are run by second generation family leaders," said Dita Sharma.
The ceremony began with welcoming remarks from Dr. Dita Sharma, as well as Dr. Patricia Prelock, provost and senior vice president, University of Vermont, and Dr. Sanjay Sharma, dean, Grossman School of Business. Together they commemorated and celebrated the impact of enterprising legacies across the world.
The 2024 award winners were:
Multi-Generation Family Enterprise: Cascade Engineering, presented by Jen Fleckenstein, Clearwater Filtration.Cascade Engineeringis a large tonnage plastic injection molding manufacturing company based in Grand Rapids, MI that specializes in producing a wide range of products using sustainable materials and practices. Founded in 1973 by Fred Keller, it has since grown into a diverse business with operations in multiple industries, including automotive, waste and recycling, office furniture, and other custom applications. Cascade Engineering is known for its Triple Bottom Line philosophy and commitment to environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and community engagement.
Multi-Generation Family Enterprise: Bead Industries, Inc., presented by Molly Heaney, JM Huber Corp. In early 1910, Calvin Bryant developed the first electric light pull. He and his son Gerald formed the Bead Chain Manufacturing Company, incorporated in 1914. From developing "dog tag" chains for the US and Canadian armed forces to being at the forefront of the development of fluorescent lighting, todayBead Industries, Inc.manufactures end-to-end, wire, and tubular connector pins for the automotive, medical, communications, and lighting industries.
Global Multi-Generation Enterprise:Supreme Creationspresented by Archana Chaudhary, Jaipur Rugs, India. Headquartered in the UK,Bags of Ethics/Supreme Creationshas been a pioneer in manufacturing reusable products for over 25 years. Known for producing reusable packaging and merchandise for leading brands like Nike, Dior, and Sephora, among others. With a mission to reduce single-use plastic, the company eliminated 30+ billion single-use plastic bags and expanded into reusable merchandise across food, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle categories. Dr. R. Sri Ram, founder of the business, works alongside his daughter Smruti Sriram, CEO and part of the international management team.
OnLogic, presented by Paul Ligon, Casella Waste Systems, was recognized for its commitment to social responsibility, sustainability, and the State of Vermont.OnLogicis a global industrial computer manufacturer that designs highly configurable, solution-focused computers engineered for reliability at the IoT edge. Their systems operate in the world's harshest environments, empowering customers to solve their most complex computing challenges, no matter what their industry. Founded in 2003, the company has offices in the U.S., the Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan and Malaysia. OnLogic has helped more than 70,000 customers worldwide advance their ideas with computers that are designed to last, built to order and delivered in days. Learn more at onlogic.com/company or on youtube.com/onlogic.
Nominations for the 2025 Vermont Legacy and Family Enterprise Awards are now open atuvm.edu/business/vlfea. Learn more about the Grossman School's Family Business Institute, where family enterprise, entrepreneurship and sustainability meet, atuvm.edu/business/fbi.