iBi - September 2009

Some say it's one of the most critical challenges that a family business owner faces.

Since 1971, Metro Centre has made its home in the heart of Peoria. Part of its Main Street appeal can be seen in the many family-owned businesses that call it home.

Esteemed for its diverse educational opportunities and recognized for promoting individual self-worth and values, Midstate College is also admired for its family-driven culture.

Walking down the red hallways with their contemporary fixtures, it's hard to imagine that this space was once occupied by antiques and artifacts from the last century.

Ronda Daily is no stranger to change. The owner of Bremer Jewelry since 1984, she has increased her business significantly over the years by implementing unique marketing programs and keeping up with the latest technologies.

The HBO television show Six Feet Under brought the funeral home industry into the limelight, with a behind-the-scenes look at the nature of these businesses, which are very often run by families and passed down from generation to generation.

Who would guess that the Peoria scrap business would be a good place to find love?

In an age when stories of failing banks and lending institutions are commonplace, some are finding ways to survive and even grow in the current financial climate.

When Cristy Delicath and her daughter, Michele Cox, realized they were no longer having fun in their day-to-day jobs, they decided to have a tea party-every day.

For most businesses, evolution is a necessity. They may change locations, products or owners, and usually these changes happen over a long period of time. Widmer Interiors is no exception, but unlike many, the family had a plan.  

While the country experiences one of the worst recessions in decades, Steger's Furniture of Pekin experienced their second-best fiscal year in 2008.

After working for others for nearly 20 years at a large Chicago advertising agency and two consumer product companies, Jane Converse thought she'd learned enough to set out on her own.

The relationship between father and son is as old as humanity itself. Traditions, history, life experiences and leadership qualities have been passed from father to son for generations.

Operating a family business can be knotty enough without complicating the dynamic by adding other families into the mix. But for some, that has been the formula for a successful business.

From groceries to hardware, Mike and Don Nena have made quality service a household name.

The United States has thrived through the decades, both in good and challenging times, with family-owned businesses being an economic driver.

"Green" is a hot buzzword today, but Gary Jacob's grandfather was just trying to survive the Great Depression when he provided farmers with the ability to harness wind power.

Through it all, A. Lucas and Sons-the oldest manufacturing business in Peoria and one of the oldest steel fabricators in the country-has kept its doors open every working day since 1857.

Jim Scherer's family is comfortable with innovation. The trend started in the early 1900s when his great-grandfather accepted the offer of David Dunbar Buick to sell something called an "automobile."

A well-known Greek proverb states, "Eat and drink with your relatives; do business with strangers."