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Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center Unveils 2008 Family Business of the Year
Award Winners
Awardees to be Honored at December 3 Gala in Chicago

CHICAGO, October 2008 – Loyola University Chicago’s Family Business Center has selected the winners of its 15th annual Illinois Family Business of the Year Awards, which recognize superior Illinois-based family businesses that demonstrate a strong commitment to both business and family. This year’s winners and finalists will be honored at an upcoming awards gala, co-hosted by Harris, on Wednesday, December 3, at The Four Seasons Hotel – Chicago.

The 2008 Illinois Family Business of the Year Awardees:

• Category A (Small)
  Winner:   Quality Float Works, Inc., Chicago
  Finalists: Fidelity Print Communications
  Sir Speedy Printing
• Category B (Medium)
  Winner:    Minee Subee Early Education & Childcare Centers, Arlington Heights
  Finalists: C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co.
  Stenstrom Companies
• Category C (Large)
  Winner:    Edward Don & Company, Chicago
  Finalists: Glik’s
  William Charles, Ltd.
• Community Service Award
  Winner:    William Charles, Ltd., Rockford
• Century Award
  Winner: Eclipse, Inc., Rockford

This year’s awards drew 240 nominations for the five categories: small (companies with fewer than 50 employees), medium (50 to 250), large (more than 250), Community Service, and the Century Award. Winners of the awards have demonstrated positive family/ business linkage, multi-generational family business involvement, contributions to industry and community, and innovative business practices and strategies. “Family businesses continue to be the backbone of our economy, and recognizing these tireless, dedicated organizations is something we are very proud to do,” says Andrew Keyt, Executive Director of Loyola’s Family Business Center. “These organizations have withstood the test of time and are wonderful examples for all family business owners.”

William Charles, Ltd.
William Charles, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois, is a family-owned diverse organization. Established in 1892, the company has grown over the years to become one of the region’s largest and most successful companies. They serve many industries, both regionally and nationally, under the William Charles umbrella. William Charles today is comprised of three groups: construction, environmental/waste services and real estate. Ragnar Benson, Park Ridge, is a division of William Charles, Ltd. The company is still guided by the directives of the previous generations – a strong work ethic with an emphasis on work safety, customer satisfaction and innovation.

About Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center
The Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center is an internationally recognized pioneer and leader in family business program development and research, serving as a resource to family businesses in the Chicago region and throughout the nation. The center's research projects have focused on issues such as family business leadership, the communication patterns of business owning families, the role of trusts and trustees in family firms, the performance of family businesses compared with non family managed counterparts, and demographic profiles of family businesses throughout the United States. For more information, please visit LUC.edu/fbc.

About Loyola University Chicago
Committed to preparing people to lead extraordinary lives, Loyola University Chicago was founded in 1870 and is the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic University. Loyola has a total enrollment of more than 15,500 students, which includes nearly 10,000 undergraduates hailing from all 50 states and 82 foreign countries. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy. Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China. Loyola's nine schools and colleges include arts and sciences, business administration, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola offers 71 undergraduate majors, 71 undergraduate minors, 85 master's degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Recognizing Loyola's excellence in education, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Loyola consistently among the "top national universities," and named the University a "best value" in its 2008 rankings. For more information, please visit our Web site at LUC.edu.

This year’s awards program is made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors: Harris, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLC, Grant Thornton, Mass Mutual Pearre & Associates, Ltd., McDermott Will & Emery, Lowry Hill, MB Financial, Crain’s Chicago Business, Bell Litho, Inc., and the business-owning families who are members of the Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center.