December 5, 2001 - The Center for Family Business of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University today announced the winners of the 2001 Family Business of the Year Award at a luncheon for finalists and their families at the Huntington Hilton. The winners are:

• Category I (fewer than 50 employees): New York State Business Group, Inc./Conference Associates, Patchogue, NY - health insurance carrier for small businesses.
• Category II (50-250 employees): Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY - leading wine importer in the U.S. and producer of wines in Italy.
• Category III (more than 250 employees): P.C. Richard & Son, Farmingdale, NY - the appliance, electronics and computer giant.
• Special Category, Pioneer Award: Castagna Realty Company, Inc., Manhasset, NY - general contracting and management company.

Finalists were:

• Coach Realtors, Northport, NY - North Shore real estate firm
• Crosstex International, Hauppauge, NY - Health care product manufacturer
• Ecolin Jeweler, Port Jefferson, NY - Retailer of fine jewelry
• Lackmann Culinary Services, Woodbury, NY - contract food service provider
• London Jewelers, Glen Cove, NY - Retailer of fine jewelry
• Long Island Advance, Patchogue, NY - Local newspaper publisher
• Long Island Fur Factory, Hauppauge, NY - Furrier
• Printing Spectrum, E. Setauket, NY - Full service commercial printer
• ROTHCO, Division of Morris Rothenberg & Son, Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY - wholesale distributor of camping, sporting and security merchandise
• Vormittag Associates, Ronkonkoma, NY - a full service computer consulting firm

Owners, their families and employees were recognized at a ceremony held on December 5 at Hilton Huntington. Now in its sixth year, the Family Business of the Year awards program emphasizes the positive contributions made by family-owned firms to the community and Long Island's economy. In addition to business success, winners showed positive family/business linkage, multi-generational family business involvement, innovative business practices or strategies, and contributions to industry and the local community. Nominations are judged by a panel consisting of principal family businesses and Center for Family Business board members. There were also 10 finalists for the Family Business of the Year awards.

"Family businesses are the backbone of the Long Island economy," says Dr. Nishan Najarian, University Dean of the School of Continuing Studies. "Some fail and many succeed. Those that succeed do so because they have a commitment to succession planning to ensure that the family business will continue from one generation to another. They also give back to the community that supports them by providing much needed service to the community. This awards program is C.W. Post's way to acknowledge what that have been able to accomplish and to convey our appreciation for their efforts to support Long Island and their communities."

The Center for Family Business (CFB) was the first of its kind on Long Island. It was founded in 1994 by the School of Continuing Studies at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. This not-for-profit Center provides an educational forum in which owners, families and workers can exchange ideas with other family business owners. The CFB's educational programs include seminars on topics such as succession planning, conflict negotiations, compensation and benefits, prospecting for business growth, and winning the e-business race.

Corporate sponsors of the Center for Family Business are JPMorganChase, one of the largest banking organizations in the world; Farrell Fritz, P.C., one of Long Island's leading law firms; MassMutual, one of the nation's premier mutual life insurance companies; and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, one of the Big Five accounting firms.

For more information call the Center for Family Business at (516) 299-2236 or visit its website at www.liu.edu/cfb