Data Sales Company, Inc.

Founded: 1973
Location: Burnsville
Family members in the business: 9
Employees: 85

After working for several years as an IBM salesman, Ron Breckner started a business that originally bought and sold used IBM mainframe computer equipment. Adjusting to changes in the technology industry, his company now leases servers and network equipment from technology manufacturers such as Dell and Hewlett Packard to businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Family values: “There will be tough days and tough decisions, but each one will make you a smarter and stronger person. Maintain the reputation of the company and always conduct one’s self in the highest ethical manner.” —Bob Breckner, chief operating officer

Lloyd’s Construction Services, Inc.

Founded: 1983
Location: Savage
Family members in the business: 5
Employees: 55

At the age of 17, John Lloyd and his father, Jim, saw a need for home cleanup services in the construction industry. Their wives later joined with them in the company, which today provides demolition, excavation, and debris management services to customers metrowide.

Family values: “As a loving and loyal family, we are united by our commitment to each other to create a company that is based on integrity, honesty, and loyalty.” —LLoyd family

Lorenz Bus Service, Inc.

Founded: 1948
Location: Minneapolis
Family members in the business: 4
Employees: 255

Jim Lorenz started by providing public transit services in downtown St. Paul along Rice Street. His company was the first Minnesota-based operator to purchase European-style touring motor coaches. Now a contractor with the Metropolitan Council, Lorenz Bus Service has grown beyond inner-city St. Paul to provide transportation for commuters, athletic teams, schools, and community organizations throughout the Twin Cities region.

Family values: “Family values are the thread that connects us together . . . . We hope to perpetuate the values of connectedness, humility, generosity, respect, acceptance, flexibility, honesty, and communication as a part of our legacy.” —Trudy Canine, director of organizational effectiveness, and Mike Canine, director of sales

Modern Manufacturing and Engineering, Inc.

Founded: 1954
Location: Brooklyn Park
Family members in the business: 4
Employees: 140

In 1983, Chuck Larson, the son of Modern Machine founder Clint Larson, hired Hue Lien, a Vietnamese immigrant, as a machine operator. He later asked Hue to be his partner in another company he owned called Modern Manufacturing, Inc. In 1998, Chuck Larson retired, sold the business to Lien, who merged the two companies to form Modern Manufacturing and Engineering, which makes commercial and military aerospace and aircraft parts.

Family values: “I would like to see my kids carry on and grow the business to the best of their abilities. Hard work and dedication to our customers and ourselves, while maintaining ethical business practices, are values I would like to see live throughout the company for years to come.” —Hue Lien

Riedell Shoes, Inc.

Founded: 1945
Location: Red Wing
Family members in the business: 5
Employees: 100

On the heels of a career at Red Wing Shoe Company, Paul Riedell, along with his wife Sophie, began a business in 1945 designing and handcrafting boots for ice skates. Since then, the company’s boots, blades, and roller accessories have been worn by Olympians as well as recreational enthusiasts. Its products are sold by nearly 1,000 dealers across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Family values: “To provide opportunities for future family participation along with outside involvement, based on honesty, integrity, a strong belief in oneself, and a commitment to growth.” —Dan Riegelman, vice president of marketing

The Hubler Award

The Hubler Award for Excellence in Service to Family Businesses, which is given annually, recognizes professionals who serve family businesses for their superior practice, support, and dedication to the success of these businesses and the people behind them.

This year’s honoree is Jack Tesmer, whose Richfield-based consultancy, the Jack Tesmer Institute, helps family businesses move through transitions by developing business and reorganization plans in order to stay competitive. Before starting his own company, Tesmer spent 10 years as head of organizational development with 3M.

In working with family businesses, Tesmer looks at how they’re organized, and “what the market is demanding from them as far as an organization is concerned, how they are going to pull off a strategy, and what the leadership issues are around that.” Among his success stories is an electrical contractor whose company he helped reposition to take on larger and more challenging projects.

This is the fourth year that Minneapolis consulting firm Hubler for Business Families is sponsoring the Hubler Award for Excellence. It will be presented at the 2013 Minnesota Family Business Awards on November 7.