On November 22, 2016, J&L Harley-Davidson and the Entenman family received the 2016 Boyd Hopkins, Sr. Excellence in Family Business Award. The Entenman family received their award at a dinner held in their honor at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown, Sioux Falls, on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.

Each year, the Prairie Family Business Association and the Hopkins Family recognizes an area family business through the following criteria:

– Multigenerational (at least 2 generations of continuous ownership/management).
– The family business serves and contributes to their community financially, through volunteerism and through leadership.
– The business has planned for and developed a strong family governance and organizational structure (i.e.: employment policies, shareholder policies, leadership development for the next generation, family meetings or family retreats, etc.).
– The company has grown in sales, employees, profits, number of locations, etc., since its founding.
– Examples where determination, strength or foresight have had an impact on the family or the business.

“I was humbled when I was informed of this award,” says Jim Entenman, President of J&L HarleyDavidson. “This recognition validates the planning and efforts that Lonnie and my sons, Jimmy and Joe, are taking to insure that transition of ownership to my sons goes smoothly. We want to assure our staff and customers that we will always provide the best products and service possible.”

J&L Harley-Davidson, Inc. was started in 1975 by John and Bev Entenman and sons Jim and Lonnie. Today, headed by Jim Entenman, the Entenman family has 4 locations: J&L Harley-Davidson, Sioux Falls; Glacial Lakes Harley-Davidson, Watertown, SD; Harley-Davidson of Fargo, West Fargo, ND; and Big Sioux Power Sports, Sioux Falls.

“J&L Harley-Davidson and the Entenman Family are deserving recipients of the Boyd Hopkins, Sr. Excellence in Family Business Award,” said Stephanie Larscheid, Executive Director of Prairie Family Business Association. “They have worked hard on intentional succession planning over the last ten years, they have focused on philanthropic support of their community and they have created a family culture for their employees and their customers.”

The Hopkins Family established the Boyd Hopkins, Sr. Excellence in Family Business Award in 2008. The Award is named after one of South Dakota’s most exceptional business leaders and citizens, Boyd Hopkins, Sr. For more than 65 years the Hopkins Family has operated their business on the same principles Boyd Sr. provided for the bank’s foundation: determination, strength, foresight and leadership.