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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University's Austin Family Business Program will host several events to support and educate family businesses in coming weeks. The events, covering a variety of topics important to family businesses, will be held in Corvallis, Astoria, Portland and The Dalles.

For complete information on any of the events, contact the Austin Family Business Program in OSU's College of Business at 800-859-7609, or visit www.familybusinessonline.org.

Corvallis, Jan. 17

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Austin Family Business Program will host a forum at OSU called "Ties to the Land: Keeping Family Forests and Farms in the Family." It will explore the human side of estate planning, focusing on ways to maintain family ties to the land from generation to generation.

The forum will build awareness of key challenges facing family businesses and teach families necessary tools to address tough issues, from succession to bridging communication gaps. It features Clint Bentz, a Salem accountant and family forest owner and manager.

The event, partially funded by a grant from OSU's College of Forestry and Oregon Forest Resource Institute, will run from 8 a.m. to noon at LaSells Stewart Center on campus. The forum fee is $35 for the first attendee and $10 for each additional family member.

Astoria, Jan. 19

A workshop in Astoria on Thursday, Jan. 19, called "BusinessKillers...Keeping Your Business Alive for Generations," is designed to help family business owners learn how to avoid mistakes that can destroy their businesses. The workshop identifies six critical issues family businesses should consider in order to protect their businesses and the potential impact on the family's financial future.

The event is sponsored by Mass Mutual Financial Services and will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Seafood Consumer Center Conference Room, 2021 Marine Dr. in Astoria. Tickets are $35.

Portland, Feb. 1

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, OSU's Austin Family Business Program will hold a workshop in Portland called "Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Family-Owned Real Estate" that offers practical advice to assist family real estate owners in understanding basic real estate concepts, ownership structures and strategies.

The workshop will include an update on local market trends, economic conditions and discussion of the status of Measure 37. It offers technical and applied sessions, including lectures, panel discussions, and case study applications. Among the topics to be covered are ownership structures, tax implications, basic real estate development and recognizing value in family business real estate. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from representatives of family businesses who are actively engaged in developing and managing their real property holdings.

The Portland workshop runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower Pavilion East/West, 921 S.W. 6th Ave. Tickets are $175.

The Dalles, Feb. 2

On Thursday, Feb. 2, a workshop in The Dalles called "Passing the Baton: The Art of Handing Over the Farm to the Next Generation," is designed to help farming families deal with succession. This forum will explore the human side of estate planning, focusing on ways to maintain family ties to the land from generation to generation.

The event is hosted by the OSU Wasco County Extension, WSU Klickitat County Extension, OSU Austin Family Business Program and Columbia Gorge Community College. It will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at Columbia Gorge Community College, Building 2, Room 2384. Costs are $29 per person.

To guarantee seating, interested persons should pre-register by Tuesday, Jan. 31, with Columbia Gorge Community College at 541-506-6011. For more information contact OSU Extension in The Dalles at 541-296-5494 or e-mail [email protected].