PFV 2022 Prize Finalists Announced
As one of the 12 wine-producing families that make up the Primum Familiae Vini (pictured above), we are pleased to announce the 2021 shortlist of five family companies nominated for the PFV’s €100,000 Prize.
The annual award is given to a family company in any area of enterprise that demonstrates excellence in sustainability, innovation, craftsmanship and the successful transmission of responsibility and commitment from one generation to the next.
The five shortlisted companies are:
Tsutsumi, Japan: A four-generation family business founded in 1909 in Kyoto that is fighting to revive the ancient Japanese tradition of lacquer use for tableware and artwork. The family has innovated by creating a UV-resistant lacquer from the urushi tree and Takauya Tsutsumi of the current generation has worked with a renowned Australian surfboard maker to create elegant lacquer-coated wooden surfboards like those used by ancient Hawaiians.
Giulio Giannini e Figlio, Italy: A bookbinding and hand decorated paper business founded in the Piazza Pitti, Florence, in 1856 who remain in their original location and shop. They continue to decorate fine leather and parchment and the family were instrumental in creating the famous Florentine style in the 19th century.
Columbia Restaurant, USA: A five-generation family business founded in 1903 by Cuban immigrants to feed workers in nearby factories. One of their seven restaurants is recognised as the 10th oldest in the USA. The family reflect the best of the American dream with new arrivals working from nothing to create a successful legacy.
Brun de Vian-Tiran, France: An eight-generation family business manufacturing fine cloth in L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence, since 1808 and currently managed by father and son Pierre and Jean-Louis Brun. They use traditional production methods and are noted for working with local shepherds to encourage them to use historic breeds of sheep and to revive the French woollen industry.
Busatti, Italy: in 1842 the Busatti family took back their Palazzo Morgalanti in the village of Anghiari in Tuscany which had been occupied by Napoleon's troops and used by them to make uniforms for the French army. The family decided to continue making textiles and have done so for 8 generations and are now the producers of some of Italy's finest fabrics. The family are highly environmentally conscious and have started to use seaweed to make fabric as other materials require huge quantities of water in the production process, and they are strong supporters of their local community.
Priscilla Incisa, PFV President, said: 'We had a wonderful selection of independent family companies applying for the 2022 prize and were able to select five that stood out for having successfully guided their family projects through multiple generations while remaining focused on excellence and positive values, something that we in the PFV wish to encourage.'
Further information about the PFV’s ‘Family is Sustainability’ prize can be found here.
