Pegasus Mfg. - Recipient of the 2005 People's Bank Ulizio Business Achievement Award

10/18/2005

Official Release from the University of Connecticut

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED IN THE 2005 CONNECTICUT FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 10TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION

STORRS, CT - (10/18/05) - The University of Connecticut Family Business Program is pleased to announce this year's finalists in the 2005 Connecticut Family Business of the Year Awards 10th Annual Celebration. The Connecticut Family Business of the Year Award is a prestigious way to recognize and honor those family businesses that embody core family values and the best of American free enterprise. Nine finalists will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, November 17th 2005.

The 10th Annual Connecticut Family Business of the Year Awards celebration recognizes successful family firms in Connecticut. Winners are chosen by a panel of judges with placements announced on the evening of the awards ceremony. Finalists are evaluated based on business success, positive family and business linkage, multi-generational family involvement, dynamic contributions to community and industry, and innovative business practices or strategies. This year's honorees include:

Altek Electronics; Torrington
Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home, Inc.; Colchester
Component Engineers, Inc.; Wallingford
David S. Lapine, Inc.; Stamford
Dymax Corporation; Torrington
Foxon Park Beverages, Inc.; East Haven
Lesko & Polke Funeral Home of Fairfield Center; Fairfield
Palmer’s Market; Darien
Torrington Supply Co., Inc.; Waterbury

Pegasus Manufacturing of Middletown will also be honored with the 2005 "People's Bank Ulizio Business Achievement Award" presented by People's Bank. This award is given to a family firm that has made significant contributions to and advancements within its industry.

Mr. David Neeleman, Founder & CEO of JetBlue Airways, will present the keynote address. A strong promoter of innovation, philanthropy, family values and business ethics, Mr. Neeleman's insight and wisdom serve as an inspiration to academicians, students, executives and entrepreneurs around the globe. University of Connecticut School of Business Dean, William C. (Curt) Hunter, notes "Small and family businesses continue to be a linchpin of our great economy. Nowhere in the world are the synergies of small and large businesses operating side by side more evident than in the United States. Small businesses have consistently proven themselves as innovation leaders across all areas of our great economy: computer technology and information processing, software, precision machinery, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals, being just a few of the areas where small businesses have made major breakthroughs leading to an improved standard of living in our country and the world. And while it would be foolish to ignore the many contributions of the largest companies in our economy, we must never forget that these corporate giants all started as small businesses. As the world's leader in innovation, America draws its creative genius from a vibrant small business sector and its interaction with the larger businesses in the economy."

Leaning on the academic backbone of the nationally ranked University of Connecticut's School of Business, the Family Business Program is a self-funded organization that offers a unique opportunity for family businesses in the state to learn about the unique challenges that occur at the intersection of "family" and "business" from professionals and peers. The Family Business Program is a "think tank" for family business owners, successors, family members and outside managers to gain exposure to new ideas and challenge, validate or reject ideas and ultimately incorporate best practices in their own family firms.

The 2005 Connecticut Family Business of the Year Awards 10th Annual Celebration will be held at the University of Connecticut's Lewis B. Rome Ballroom on the Storrs campus with a reception beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner following. Tickets are $100 per person and tables of 10 are available for $900. To attend or request more information, contact Priscilla Cale at (860) 486-5628 or e-mail pcale@business.uconn.edu.

###

Back