Two local businesses win national Montana Family Business awards

Bozeman — Two Bozeman businesses have received honorable mention awards in the National Family Business of the Year Program.

Carol Schmidt MSU University News

Simkins Hallin Lumber of Bozeman and Dahl Funeral Cremation Services, with businesses in Bozeman, Red Lodge and Billings, received the honors in a national contest sponsored by MassMutual Financial Group. Both businesses qualified after winning 2001 Montana Family Business Awards administered by the Montana State University College of Business’ Family Business Program, said Karen Vinton, director of the Montana Family Business Day and professor emeritus of the MSU-Bozeman College of Business.

Dahl Funeral and Cremation Service won honorable mention in the small business category for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

"This is a family that serves families during their darkest times: the death of a loved-one," Vinton said in her nomination of Dahl for the national award. "Through compassionate care, this family serves families with dignity and respect while helping families celebrate the life of a loved one. They really consider their business a ministry to the bereaved. In the words of Irene Dahl, ‘Success is measured by the families who return to us, to care for them, generation after generation.’

"John and Irene (Dahl, brother and sister) now run the business as general managers. They feel they learned some of their best lessons from their father, Bernard. He has encouraged John and Irene to use their talents and to be respectful in their differences; he has taught them to utilize the strength in their diversity."

Simkins Hallin Lumber won honorable mention in the medium category for businesses with 50 to 250 employees.

"Simkins Hallin epitomizes the qualities that you are looking for in a national winner," Vinton said. "The business has grown from a ‘Ma and Pa’ operation to one of the major private sector employers in the Bozeman-area through visionary strategic business planning and ongoing succession planning. Simkins Hallin has become the one-stop building center for professional builders in the Bozeman area. Their strategic business plan has taken them from simply providing building materials to providing many value-added services for the professional builder (such as computerized estimating, roof and floor truss design and other services). Currently, the third generation is running Simkins Hallin."

Both businesses received their national awards at the ninth annual Family Business Day seminar and luncheon held at the Gallatin Gateway Inn near Bozeman.

Winners from the Montana contest often have been successful in the national contest. Lake Seed, Inc. of Ronan and the Western Livestock Reporter, Billings, were two of the top three winners in the 1996 National Family Business of the Year. Markles Inc. of Glasgow, a diversified company that sells hardware, implements, fuel and oil, furniture and appliances, was a national winner in 1995. Bradford Roofing and Insulation Co. of Billings was a national contest winner in 1994.

For more information contact: Karen Vinton (406) 763-4550 or Mitzi Griffin 994-6796

http://www.montana.edu/commserv/csnews/nwview.php?article=526