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 | | Chicago's First Lady Cruises (FULL)
The Agra Family - 3rd Generation
Portuguese immigrant Arthur Agra began offering rides in a speedboat carrying six people in the 1930s. In the 1940s Arthur and his son Robert expanded their operations under the name of Mercury Sightseeing Boats with an array of boats carrying 40 passengers. The company continued to grow, offering boats that could carry 100 passengers. In the 1970s Robert Agra Jr. and his wife Holly took over the business after the sudden death of Robert Agra Sr.
Under the leadership of Robert Jr. and Holly, Chicago’s First Lady Cruises was born as a sister company to Mercury and has now grown to be the premier tourist attraction in downtown Chicago.
In partnership with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the company is the exclusive provider of the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise. Participants in this pre-Summit visit will take a cruise exploring the architecture of Chicago from the Chicago River. Afterwards, participants will enjoy a private presentation discussing four generations of the Agra family while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and the magnificent skyline views from Lake Michigan.
www.cruisechicago.com |
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 | | Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co. (FULL)
The Sasser Family - 3rd and 4th Generations
Chicago Freight Car Leasing leases railway rolling stock, automobiles and light trucks in North America and Australia. Headquartered outside of Chicago, the company is celebrating its 81st year of operations. The company’s success is based on founding values including the highest level of customer service, respect, teamwork and continuous improvement. The company is currently managed by Fred R. Sasser, a 3rd generation family member, with one 4th generation family member – in-law Shad Peterson, currently COO – in a key and growing role. The business remains 100% owned by direct descendants or in-laws of the founder, Fred H. Sasser.
Participants in this pre-Summit visit will tour a rail car repair facility and then explore the Sasser family case. This will involve an open dialogue among family members about their experiences integrating an in-law in their business, planning for the company’s future, and attending family meetings. The case presentation will offer a rare opportunity to hear from several distinct points of view: the senior generation family leader, the in-law himself and his spouse Rebecca Peterson, the direct descendant and leader of the family council.
www.crdx.com |
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 | | Ed Miniat, Inc.
The Miniat Family - 4th Generation
In 1896 a Lithuanian immigrant named Michael Miniat journeyed to Chicago and started a business distributing meat. Other than a horse and wagon, his only asset was his willingness to satisfy his customers’ needs. Though much has changed since Michael’s time, the Miniat family continues Michael's commitment to customers. This century-old promise is both their legacy and their future.
Now in its 4th generation, Ed Miniat, Inc. operates a value-added, cooked-meat facility in South Holland, Illinois. Products are featured in restaurants and several nationally-branded franchises, including Subway and Chipotle. In 2009 Miniat opened a Culinary Center and a new headquarters at its premises. The innovative Culinary Center is a commercial kitchen designed for flexibility, allowing easy changes of equipment to suit customer needs. The presentation kitchen is connected to a dining and conference room and an open-air courtyard. This facility allows Miniat to provide in-house customer presentations and hands-on idea generation and innovation sessions.
www.miniat.com |
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 | | Edward Don & Company (FULL)
The Don Family - 3rd Generation
Owned and operated by the Don family since 1921, Edward Don & Company is the world's leading distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies. Knowledgeable sales representatives, unmatched product selection, nationwide distribution centers, and integration of new technology make the company the chosen supplier to all types of foodservice businesses including independent restaurants, national chains, health care, hospitality, country clubs, schools and universities, government institutions, and foodservice management.
The Don family will share with participants the story of how they have met both family and business challenges to move from bricks and mortar to clicks and mortar as they moved their business into the digital age.
www.don.com |
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 | | Home Run Inn
The Perrino Family - 3rd Generation
Chicago has long been the pizza capital of the world, consuming more pizza per capita than any other city. Founded as a small neighborhood tavern in 1923, Home Run Inn has grown over three generations and now produces the number one selling frozen pizza in the Chicago area with a 25% market share. Still using the original family recipe from 1947, Home Run Inn sells its pizza through eight restaurant locations and supermarkets in 20 states.
Participants in this pre-Summit visit will hear the story of three generations of the Perrino family, and how in addition to building a strong business, they are building family unity. Following lunch at one of their local restaurants, participants will receive a tour of their USDA approved frozen pizza production facility.
www.homeruninn.com |
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 | | Magid Glove & Safety Manufacturing Co. LLC
The Cohen Family - 2nd and 3rd Generations
Magid quickly became a widely-recognized brand name in safety after opening for business in 1946. The company's ability to apply innovative thinking to all processes established it as a true pioneer within the safety market and it continues to pave the way for other companies to follow. Today, Magid is uniquely positioned in the global marketplace as a single-source supplier of gloves and safety equipment.
While many other brands have come and gone, Magid remains one of the world’s largest, full-service PPE companies selling direct to industry. Participants in this pre-Summit visit will see how, as a family owned and operated business, Magid has never lost sight of the fact that it is the personal attention to every detail that is the key to reaching its customers' total satisfaction. The company's dedication, work ethic, strong family values and attractive price points are just a few of the reasons why customers trust Magid for all their personal safety needs.
www.magidglove.com |
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 | | Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (FULL)
The Nielsen Family - 3rd Generation
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas makes the finest pure vanilla and flavor extracts in the world. Living up to that claim starts with a family dedicated to pure vanilla products since 1907. Add the finest vanilla beans available – hand-picked for perfection – and the process has begun. Next, an exclusive and innovative cold extraction process slowly and gently draws the delicate and distinctive flavor from the vanilla beans. The result is perfect for the home cook or the discriminating chef.
Participants in this Pre-Summit visit will learn how, as a family owned and managed business, Nielsen-Massey truly cares about its customers. With this commitment comes a pledge to continue producing the world's finest Pure Vanillas and a newer line of other Pure Flavor Extracts batch after batch – a promise that has been kept for more than a century.
www.nielsenmassey.com |
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 | | Radio Flyer (FULL)
The Pasin Family - 3rd Generation
When Founder Antonio Pasin’s grandsons, Robert and Paul Pasin, assumed overall leadership of Radio Flyer in 1997, they had already begun to ask many of the key questions that would result in a complete re-invention of the quality toy business that created America’s Original Little Red Wagon. They began the challenging process of “changing everything,” while working to preserve the strengths of the 80-year old culture. This transformation involved a year-long, company-wide discussion to clearly define and articulate the company’s vision, mission and values.
Participants in this site visit will tour the headquarters, recently named one of the coolest places to work in Chicago, and see live examples of product innovation with plenty of things to touch, feel and experience directly. Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer, and Dorie Blesoff, Dean of Wagon University, will be on hand to share how this company has changed from a sleepy little factory that makes shiny red wagons into a world-class brand-driven consumer products company, in the process going from merely surviving to thriving.
www.radioflyer.com |
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 | | White Castle (FULL)
The Ingram Family - 4th Generation
White Castle, the world’s first fast food hamburger chain, is unique. Beyond legendary customer loyalty and a distinctive product, White Castle remains a family-owned, privately held business after 89 years. In large part, the family attributes its success to remaining true to the spirit of innovation embodied by the founder, Billy Ingram.
Today, the family members are a passionate and committed ownership group, seeking to keep the business on the leading edge of customer service and innovation. They have continued Ingram’s innovative spirit by becoming the first restaurant chain to sell its branded food items through the grocery channel; the first restaurant chain to have a web site; the first restaurant chain to have a “Hall of Fame” celebrating its most loyal customers, and of course, through the movie “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.”
Participants in this visit will have a White Castle restaurant experience. Fourth generation leaders, Lisa Ingram, John Kelley, Dave Rife, Brad Rife and Jamie Richardson will lead the tour and share their history and innovative approaches to running the enterprise and supporting their communities.
www.whitecastle.com |
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