UTICA – The 104-year-old family-owned Velvet Ice Cream was among the first class of inductees to the new Central Ohio Family Business Hall of Fame, launched this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the Conway Center for Family Business.
Long known as Central Ohio’s top resource for education and programming dedicated to the success of family-owned businesses, the Family Business Center celebrated its 20-year milestone by inducting 20 of the region’s most successful family businesses as the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.
“We are so honored to be inducted into the Central Ohio Family Business Hall of Fame with 19 of central Ohio’s most distinguished Companies,” said Velvet Ice Cream Vice President Joanne Dager, who serves on the Conway Center for Family Business board of directors. “Our involvement in the Center for Family Business has played a key role in Velvet Ice Cream’s success, especially as we transitioned management from the third generation of Dagers to the fourth generation of our family.
“It’s important to us to help share the Center’s wealth of resources to other family businesses.”
In addition to Velvet Ice Cream, the first class of Inductees includes: Anderson Concrete Corp., Capital Resin Corporation, Conway Family, Crane Group, Donatos Pizzeria, LLC, Englefield, Inc., George J. Igel & Co., Inc., Heiberger Paving, Highlights for Children, Inc., Kimball Midwest, Mid-City Electric/ Technologies, ms consultants, Reitter Stucco and Supply, Ricart Automotive Group, Robin Enterprises, Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service, Spartan Logistics, The Robert Weiler Company, The Smoot Corporation and White Castle System, Inc.
The Center for Family Business celebrates the successes of family-owned businesses at its annual awards program and offers ongoing peer group opportunities for next-generation leaders, family business leaders, women family business owners and others. The organization includes 200 family-owned businesses from Central Ohio, employing more than 35,000 individuals total.
Hall of Fame inductees are family-owned businesses with a legacy of success. Each of these companies have successfully transitioned to the second generation or beyond. All those being inducted have been members of or have supported the Conway Center for Family Business.
2018 marks 104 years of business for Velvet Ice Cream. Founded in 1914 by Joseph Dager, four generations of Dagers have since run the company, which is located in Utica, Ohio on 25 acres of the perfect combination of wooded countryside and rolling, pastoral farmland. Still family-owned and operated, Velvet produces and distributes more than five million gallons of ice cream every year from its headquarters on the grounds of Ye Olde Mill. Ye Olde Mill also houses an ice cream and milling museum, a restaurant, playground, picnic area and catch-and-release fish pond.
Named by Frommer’s as one of America’s 10 Best Ice Cream Factory Tours, Velvet’s Ye Olde Mill welcomes 150,000 visitors each year for tours, tastings and events. The annual Ice Cream Festival (May 26 to 28), group tour experiences and school learning field trips are among the many draws to Ye Olde Mill, which is open to the public April 2 through Oct. 31. Complete information about Velvet Ice Cream and Ye Olde Mill is available www.VelvetIceCream.com.
