Family business cited for longevity, success
The Wake Forest University Family Business Center and Business North Carolina have made their selections for the 2013 North Carolina Family Business of the Year awards.
The Century Award winner is Winston-Salem-based Salem Funeral & Cremation Services. In 1858, A. C. Vogler established the Main Street Village Cabinet shop in Salem, N.C. That shop became the Vogler family funeral home, and since that time, six generations have followed in Vogler’s footsteps.
The company has had more than 155 years of continual service. Today, it has 16 employees, including current family members Mosby Vogler and Johnson Vogler, who, respectively, represent the fifth and sixth generations of Vogler family members.
The large-size business winner is Richard Childress Racing. Owned by racing legend Childress, RCR is housed in 14 buildings and occupies more than 550,000-square-feet in its Welcome corporate headquarters. The company has approximately 475 full-time employees and boasts 14 championships (13 in NASCAR and one in the ARCA Racing Series) and more than 200 wins.
The medium-size business winner is Greensboro-based Samet Corporation, a construction and property development operation founded in 1961 by Norman Samet. Originally known for large industrial buildings, Samet has developed expertise in high-growth segments such as healthcare and technology in addition to signature properties like stadiums and showrooms. The family-owned company has grown to become a regional corporation with more than 130 employees and operations throughout the Southeast.
Hendersonville-based Dampp-Chaser Corporation won the small business award. The company produces an accessory for pianos, the Piano Life Saver, which is sold through an international distribution network to piano tuners and technicians worldwide. The company has 23 employees.
Award winners will be recognized on Thursday, May 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Porter B. Byrum Welcome Center on the Reynolda Campus of Wake Forest University. Tickets are available for purchase and are $125 each or six for $600.
For more information, go to http://familybusiness.opcd.wfu.edu.
