Two local firms — Payroll People Inc. and Paul Evert RV Country — were named the California Businesses of the Year by Fresno State’s Institute for Family Business recently.

More than 300 business owners, their families and many community leaders attended the annual Family Business Awards Luncheon on Jan. 8

Four other family businesses were also recognized for their growth and substantial contributions to the community: Johanson Transportation Service, Chaltraw and Associates, Boghosian Raisin Packing Company and Orloff Jeweler’s Inc.

Tom Burns, the director of the institute, stressed the significance of the awards.

“The annual family business awards symbolize the importance of families, their businesses and the inter-relatedness of the success of both,” he said.

Payroll People Inc., which provides payroll services to more than 3,500 employers, started as a five-people project two decades ago and now has a 75-employee workforce.

The flourishing business led by founder and CEO Bettye Smith has generated “Pay-e,” a new concern aimed at providing payroll management software for other companies in the payroll business.

Paul Evert RV Country, an automobile concern which had a humble beginning in 1961, survived and flourished through the gas crisis of the 70s and the high interest rates of the 80s among many other incumbent challenges.

Partners Paul Evert and Curt Curtis are now proud owners of a 21- acre campus south of Fresno with a state of the art showroom along with two more showrooms in Nevada and 50 service bays.

The Institute for Family Business, located in the Craig School of Business Fresno State, has been working in association with the university for almost 13 years.

“The goal of the institute is to provided education to family owned businesses,” Burns said.

The topics of study range from general business planning to more specific and critical issues that relate to the unique relationships with family businesses such as defining roles and conflict management, he added.

For more information contact Tom Burns at 278- 3077

Copy prepared by University Relations student intern Ravneet Padda.

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