Grand Valley hosts international conference

Business leaders from across the country, as well as Canada and Finland will gather at the Family Enterprise Research Conference (FERC), sponsored by the Family Owned Business Institute in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.

The theme of the conference is “Strategic Entrepreneurship in Family Business: How Do Family Businesses Promote & Manage Entrepreneurial Activity?”

Last year, the conference was held in Cancun and next year’s site is Montreal. West Michigan was selected this year because of the area’s reputation for strong family owned businesses, community philanthropy, leadership, drive and character. Ninety-nine percent of businesses globally are family owned.

Family Enterprise Research Conference
May 6-8
Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids

Speakers and presenters include David Van Andel, Van Andel Institute; Mark Bissell, CEO of Bissell, Inc.; Doug DeVos, president of Amway Corp.; Matthew Haworth, chairman of Haworth, Inc.; Hank Meijer, co-chairman of Meijer Inc.; and representatives from Grand Valley State University, Texas A&M University, University of Alberta, Canada, and California State University, to name a few.

For more information and a complete schedule of speakers and panel discussions, contact the GVSU Family Owned Business Institute at (616) 331-7246 or GVSU News and Information Services at (616) 331-2221.