The first annual 2001 Northern Nevada Family Business of the Year Awards Gala was held on October 5 at the Peppermill Resort Hotel Casino in Reno. Five Northern Nevada firms were selected for top honors at the event, hosted by the Nevada Business Journal and supported by corporate sponsors. Emcees of the gala affair were Bill Frankmore and Shelby Sheehan, anchors of the morning show “News 4 Today” on News 4 Television.
Award recipients were selected in three major categories and two special categories. The major categories, divided by company size, were: fewer than 50 employees; 50 to 250 employees; and more than 250 employees. The special categories included “Most Unique Family Business of the Year” and “Humanitarian Family Business of the Year.” These awards were based on nominations from the business community and from readers of the Nevada Business Journal. Honorees were selected by a panel of judges for their innovation, record of growth, contributions to the community and financial stability, as well as quality of life for their employees.
The Winners
The winner in the category of “Fewer Than 50 Employees” was Sportif USA in Sparks.
Sportif USA, a legend in the activewear apparel business, has been a leading manufacturer of outdoor and resort clothing for over 36 years. Sportif broke ground in the apparel industry in 1965 by focusing on functional, yet stylish clothing specifically designed to meet the needs of the everyday outdoor enthusiast. Sportif helped develop and market the first commercially available “corespun” stretch fabric – ESPA Twill – which is now Sportif’s signature fabric. Innovative textiles, cutting edge technologies and traditional family values are only a few of the key components that identify this company as a family business grounded in a commitment to integrity, value and performance.
Among businesses employing between 50 and 250 employees, the winner was Champion Chevrolet in Reno.
Champion Chevrolet sells new and used cars and trucks. During its 11 years in business, the dealership has made over 34,000 sales and 300,000 customer transactions. A Time Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year and an Auto Age Top 500 dealer in the U.S.A., Champion’s goal is to create total customer enthusiasm by providing genuine value and quality with all Chevrolet car and truck sales. Champion is highly active in the community, sponsoring everything from Miss Nevada Pageants to Little League teams to major charitable organizations.
The winner for the category of more than 250 employees was Scolari’s Food & Drug Company in Reno.
Scolari’s, established in 1958, is the largest privately-owned grocery store chain in Northern Nevada, with 13 stores. Scolari’s also operates four stores on California’s central coast. Nine of its locations are superstores, offering a variety of specialty departments such as fresh produce, service meat and fish, bakery, deli, full-service floral, video rentals and pharmacies. Scolari’s founded a Friendship Fund in 1988 to allow schools, churches and other non-profit groups to raise money for their own needs and activities by shopping at its stores. To date, Scolari’s has donated over $3 million through this fund.
The most unique family business of the year was Francovich Holiday Nog in Reno.
Francovich Holiday Nog has been making its eggnog for generations as a holiday tradition. A true family-owned and operated company, Francovich decided to bottle its product and entered the retail market in Reno grocery stores in 1999. During this year’s holiday season, the company is expanding out of Reno and will be distributing its holiday eggnog for adults throughout Nevada and Northern California. This company is a prime example of a successful start-up business.
The humanitarian family business of the year was Gardner Engineering, which offers professional mechanical engineering design, energy evaluations and retrofits, expertise in heating, ventilating and air conditioning, refrigeration, temperature control, sales, installation and service.
Gardner has an energy retrofit program that has completed over $10 million of retrofit work for its clients over the past eight years. These products have resulted in $1.12 million of Sierra Pacific Power Company Demand Slide Rebates and a combined annual reduction in utility costs of $2.5 million. Company President James Gardner serves on the board of directors for the Reno YMCA and the Reno National Little League. He is a member of the Engineering Alumni Advisory Board and Truckee Meadows Community College Advisory Board. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Governor’s Individual Energy Leadership award and the University of Nevada, Reno Alumni Association University Service Award.
Editor’s Note
Congratulations to all the nominees from the management and staff of the Nevada Business Journal. As a family-owned business, this annual event holds special meaning for us. If your family owns a business and you would like to be featured in next year’s event, please contact Renée Roberts at 775-747-4434 ext. 22 for an application packet.
Many thanks to our judges, who donated their time to choose “The Best of the Best.” A special note of appreciation to our generous sponsors, who provided the support needed to make this event possible.