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2020 Family Business Conference Features Three National Success Stories

Posted in   |  September 8, 2020

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Prairie Family Business Association will host the 28th Annual Family Business Conference on September 10-11, 2020.

The highlight of the conference is learning directly from family business owners who share their stories of overcoming challenges and celebrating successes. This year there are three nationally recognized family stories being featured at the conference.


J. Lohr Vineyard and Wines

With South Dakota roots, the J. Lohr family will be sharing four wines with attendees through a virtual tasting and sharing of the story behind their family vineyard.


Otter Products

Stacey Pearson was the Director of Strategic Operations at OtterBox® and led the family and company through a period of significant growth and change. Not only will Stacey be sharing the strategic tools they used, she will also highlight the family story through personal experience and family videos.


Rob and Melani Walton Foundation

Rob and Melani Walton have prepared a presentation which shares the Walton family story and how their family values help steer the direction of their business and foundation.  


For the first year ever, the Annual Family Business Conference is being offered both in-person and virtually, expanding the reach to include attendees from 16 states. The virtual conference platform will allow attendees to connect with one another regardless of how they are taking in the content. The in-person attendees will gather at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Sioux Falls where several speakers will be present.

In addition to these family business stories, the conference is offering more speakers than ever before.

“One of the benefits of the hybrid conference is that it allows us to incorporate virtual speakers who we otherwise would not have been able to include in a traditional experience. The quantity and quality of our speakers makes the registration a great value.”

– Stephanie Larscheid, executive director of Prairie Family Business Association

Prairie Family Business Association was founded in 1993 as a South Dakota family business initiative through the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business with the mission of enhancing the long-term survival and success of its family business members.

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