Our Mission

The mission of Centenary’s Center for Family-Owned Business (CFOB) is to develop programming to support the continuity and health of multi-generational, family businesses within our region of the south. The Center’s seminars and workshops focus on strategic planning, growth strategies, succession planning, communication, as well as legal, management, and financial issues unique to family-owned, closely-held companies.

In addition to serving as an invaluable resource for families in business, our goal is to create and nurture a network of family business owners who can share insights and fresh ideas, and who meet to address issues of mutual interest. 

View photos from the Summer 2023 Lagniappe series on estate planning hosted by Heard, McElroy and Vestal.

Membership

Membership is open to those involved in a multi-generational, family business enterprise in which the majority ownership of the company is controlled by the family. Participating family members need not be employees of their business. Membership is limited, assuring personal attention and maximum interaction among participants.

The membership fee is $1,250 per year for each family firm and includes:

• Participation of two family members in each of our CFOB Dinners at The Shreveport Club. Dinners include speakers from well-known family businesses.
• Unlimited participation of family members and key employees in our Core Program morning workshops led by experts from the Family Business Consulting Group
• Summer Lagniappe Programs presented by our CFOB Sponsors

Benefits

In addition to providing access to nationally-recognized family business experts, members of the CFOB receive the following benefits:

• Networking opportunities with other Center members who have experienced the unique challenges of the family-owned business.
• Access to Centenary’s CFOB conference room for off-site family meetings.
• Access to the Magale Library and the family business collection.
• Subscription to Family Business, a bi-monthly magazine and guide to successful business management, family relations, and asset protection.
• Access to the Frost School of Business faculty and staff for family/business consultation or direct referral to our network of national consultants.

Leading Family Business Executives

At each of our evening dinner programs, we bring to our members a leader from a well-known, family-owned enterprise to elaborate on their response to family business challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned. Recent speakers have included:
 

• Clark Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas, and Norma Hunt, founder of Bidwell Creek Vineyard and Perfect Season Wine.
• The Lee Michael Berg Family: Lee, Ryan, Chad and Scott Berg, owners of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, the largest independent jewelry store company in the United States.
• The Lipsey Family: Richard and Laurie Lipsey Aronson, owners of Lipsey’s LLC, the largest firearms wholesale distributor in the United States.
• Other past speakers have included Bruce Cakebread, President and COO of award-winning Cakebread Cellars; Texas entrepreneur Red McCombs; Tony Simmons, CEO of McIlhenny Company; Matt Saurage, President and Chairman of Community Coffee; and Garrett Boone, founder of The Container Store.

“

I have spoken at many family business centers, but yours now is the benchmark for me in terms of energy, enthusiasm, critical thinking, and participation. 

– Henry Foley, Senior Partner at Cambridge Advisers to Family Enterprise & Lead Facilitator of Families in Business Exectuve Education Program at Harvard Business School