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CORVALLIS - Eight Oregon firms are being honored with the Oregon State University 2002 Austin Family Business Awards.

The awards, which will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 21, are sponsored by the Austin Family Business Program in the university's College of Business.

Winners represent a vast palette of Oregon's family businesses and include an international aviation company, a 114-year-old ranching business, a growing minority-owned electronics manufacturing firm and a Willamette Valley vintner.

Judges chose the firms because of their successful efforts to wrestle with issues unique to family enterprises, including balancing business decisions against family relationships.

"We were absolutely overwhelmed by the selections made by our judges this year," said Mark T. Green, Austin Family Business Program director.

Green said deciding which of Oregon's family-owned businesses to honor was an "unenviable task." Judges for the annual contest included past winners of Oregon's Family Business Awards.

Award winners were selected from nominations from businesses and individuals from throughout the state earlier this year.

A McMinnville firm, Evergreen International Aviation, took top honors as the number one large family owned business in the state. The category includes businesses with more than 250 employees.

Founded in 1960, the firm is a diversified worldwide aviation company.

Among businesses with 50 to 250 employees, Wentworth Auto Group of Portland earned top honors from Austin Family Business Program judges. The firm is Oregon's oldest auto seller and a multi-generation family business.

The top small business, with less than 50 workers, is The Victory Group, a Salem lobbying firm founded by Larry Campbell, two-time speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.

O'Keeffe's Working Hands Crème of Joseph won honors as the top woman-owned business. The firm began on a kitchen counter with a cream designed to heal the raw hands of the founder's father, an Oregon rancher.

Ornelas Enterprises of Hillsboro is the top minority-owned business. The company is a growing electronics manufacturing firm.

2 Judges declared a tie in the search for top new businesses - those less than 10 years old.

Sharing new business honors are Duck Pond Cellars of Dundee and Security Signs in Portland.

Duck Pond is part of the state's growing wine industry and the operation includes the entire family. Security Signs is a manufacturer introducing 21st century technology to the work of sign-making.

A 114-year-old Oregon family ranch operation took the Pioneer Award. Awarded to firms more than 75 years old, judges cited the Hotchkiss Co. of Burns for working to incorporate new technology and environmental stewardship processes into their business to ensure continued success into the future.

Award criteria include business development, family-to-business linkage, contributions to community and industry, innovative strategies and practices, succession preparedness and, except for the "new" category, multi-generational family business involvement and longevity.

The Austin Family Business Program provides service and support to Oregon's family-owned businesses through workshops, training seminars and Oregon State's family business management course.

Fully 90 percent of Oregon's businesses are family-owned, and these firms contribute more than $24 billion in annual payroll to Oregon's economy.

Reservations are being accepted now for the Family Business Awards ceremony, to be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Oregon Zoo.

Sponsors of the program and the Oregon Family Business Awards include U.S. Bank, DeLap White Caldwell & Croy, LLP, MassMutual Financial Group, Black Helterline LLP and the P.C.Ross Group.

For information about the Family Business Awards or the Austin Family Business Program, call (800) 859-7609 or visit www.familybusinessonline.org.