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PORTLAND, Ore. - A group of 12 Oregon family enterprises will be honored at the 2013 Excellence in Family Business Awards ceremony Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Governor Hotel in Portland.

The awards are presented by Oregon State University's Austin Family Business Program. More than 190 companies have been honored since 1988. The awards recognize the achievements of family businesses in entrepreneurship, community involvement and multi-generational planning.

A new feature this year is keynote speaker Eric Allyn, a fourth-generation member of medical device manufacturer Welch Allyn, Inc. Allyn serves on several family business boards and travels extensively to speak to groups of family business owners because of his strong belief that "family businesses should be and need to be more competitive."

"Eric Allyn is a strong advocate for family business growth and is willing to share his experience transitioning to nonfamily management to continue Welch Allyn's global success," said Sherri Noxel, director of the Austin Family Business Program.

Companies are honored in four categories based on the size of the business.

• Skipanon Brand Seafood of Warrenton is the micro category honoree for businesses with nine or fewer employees. Hanson Family Singers of Veneta and TnT Builders, Inc., of Albany were finalists.

• S. Brooks & Associates, Inc. or Brooks Staffing of Portland is the honoree for the small family business category, which recognizes businesses with 10-24 employees. C.M. & W.O. Sheppard of Hood River and Rose City Label Company of Portland were finalists.

• Springfield-based Aggregate Resource Industries, Inc., will receive the top honor in the medium category for businesses with 25-99 employees. Finalists were BedMart of Wilsonville and Hagan Hamilton Insurance Sales of McMinnville.

• Reliance Connects & Day Wireless Systems of Estacada will be recognized as the winner in the large category (100 or more employees). Portland's Andina Restaurant and Enterprise's Chrisman Development, Inc. were finalists.

Also recognized will be Cora Wahl of Wahl Ranches & Co., winner of the student award.

Founded in 1985, the Austin Family Business Program is a university-based family business program providing inspiration, education, outreach, and research to support the success and survival of family businesses.