Iowa Family Business Conference
Join us in Pella on Nov. 11, 2026
The family behind Pella Windows & Doors, one of Iowa’s most iconic multigenerational companies, will headline the 2026 Iowa Family Business Conference in Pella on Nov. 11. Bringing industry leadership, legacy insights, and hometown pride to the state’s premier gathering of family‑owned enterprises, Adam Farver will take center stage among a rockstar lineup of Iowa’s leading family firms.
Hosted by the University of Northern Iowa Family Business Center, the conference is the only statewide event dedicated exclusively to multigenerational family-owned businesses. Whether you're a founder seeking succession insight, a next-gen leader navigating transition, or a cousin consortium looking to strengthen alignment, the conference offers a full day of peer learning, strategic guidance, and celebration.
This year’s programming will be hosted at Vermeer Corporation’s Museum and Global Pavilion and includes breakout sessions on next-generation development, family councils, branding your company as family-owned, and more — each designed to equip attendees with practical tools for business growth and legacy preservation.
Adam Farver
Adam currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Pella Corporation. He joined his family company’s board in 2010 and was elected Chairman in 2015, taking over for his father, and serving as the company’s 4th Family Chairman in its 100-year history. From October 2015 until May 2016, Adam also served as interim President and CEO of Pella Corp.
In addition to his role with Pella Corporation, Adam is President and Chief Investment Officer of Mettle Ventures, LLC, an angel and venture capital investment firm he founded; Executive Chairman of La Plata Capital, a small-business lending platform he also founded; and as a Director of Tauck, Inc., a private family-owned company focused on luxury hospitality. Adam also serves on his family office’s Financial Capital Committee, and is involved with several charitable and for-profit community development initiatives in his hometown of Pella, Iowa.
Adam earned a BA in economics from Colorado College with distinction, and an MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern University.
Vermeer Corporation
From a one-man job shop established back in 1948 on a farm in central Iowa, the second, and now third generations of Vermeer family members have taken what their father and grandfather, Gary Vermeer, started and have transformed Vermeer into a market-changing powerhouse recognized around the world. More than the Vermeer name stands the test of time. The Vermeer family is carrying the legacy of innovation, continuous improvement and the ultimate goal to equip our customers, our people and our world to do more.
With more than 70 family shareholder members, the organization works hard to connect all family members to the business. Vermeer family members are heavily involved in family business associations learning and sharing best practices so customers, dealers and team members can have confidence in their longevity. An aligned family allows an organization to operate at its best.
With a drive to succeed, the Vermeer family has focused on intentional family planning and succession, developing policies their family must abide by to ensure the company’s success.
About the conference
The Family Business Conference is a one-day event that unifies people across both business and families. Hosted in the fall of each year, this conference offers participants panels and keynote addresses from family leaders and industry experts. This is a family business exclusive event, meaning it is confidential and that no solicitors are included.
9:00 a.m. — Welcome
9:30 a.m. — Session 1
10:30 a.m. — Session 2
Noon — Keynote and Lunch
1:15 p.m. — Session 3
2:30 p.m. — Session 4
4:00 p.m. — Happy Hour + Tours
Stay tuned in to our social media channels for more details and speaker announcements.
Dave & Ryan Austad
Austad's Golf has remained true to its roots since its founding in 1963—a proud family business with deep Midwest heritage.
Dave is CEO and the Second-Generation Leader of Austad’s. Dave has been in the golf business since the second grade when he swept the floor of the warehouse for a bottle of pop from founder and dad, Oscar Austad.
Ryan is President, COO, and the Third-Generation Leader of Austad’s. Ryan has been playing golf since he was old enough to grip a club. Ryan now has three kids of his own who are starting the game.
A day of learning from other families
Video produced by Winding Media.
Business families face unique business challenges, so we think you should hear directly from them.
This conference offers real perspectives from real people — all in a confidential environment.
Kevin Hancock
Kevin Hancock is the Managing Owner and Chairman of Hancock Lumber, located in Maine. Kevin has worked at the company since 1991 and is part of the sixth generation of his family to help lead the organization. Kevin is a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community—through listening, empowering, and shared leadership. He is a graduate of Lake Region High School and Bowdoin College. He lives in Maine with his wife, Alison, and together they have two adult children, Abby and Sydney.
Jane Blain Gilbertson
Jane Blain Gilbertson is President, CEO, and second-generation leader of the 43 Blain’s Farm & Fleet stores throughout the Midwest and Blain Supply, Inc., headquartered in Janesville, Wisconsin. The family owned companies were founded in 1955 and currently employ 4,400 associates. When Jane returned to the family business in 1985, she became the children’s apparel and giftware buyer. After the passing of her father and uncle, Jane and her brother bought out the remaining family shareholders in 1998. Jane and her brother ran the business together for 16 years, until 2014, when he retired.
The Blain's Farm & Fleet Story
Tune in to hear Jane Blain Gilbertson and Sarah Gilbertson on the Never Go Against the Family podcast! The pair discuss their paths to joining the family business, the importance of a next generation, outside work experience and much more.
Tony Simmons, Tabasco
Anthony “Tony” Simmons is the retired President and CEO of McIlhenny Company, the makers of Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce. A member of the fifth generation, Tony is the great-great-grandson of founder Edmund McIlhenny. Tony lives at Avery Island, Louisiana with his wife of 48 years and his golden retriever Moose. He has two children and six grandchildren and is an avid sportsman and golfer.
Craig Culver
In 2021, the University of Northern Iowa hosted the first-ever Family Business Conference, presented by BrownWinick Law Firm. Hosted at the EFCO family's headquarters in Des Moines, this one-day event was designed to connect, educate and provide helpful resources to Iowa family businesses. Craig Culver, of Culver's Restaurants, and Tom Hubler, of Hubler for Business Families, provided keynote addresses, amid breakout sessions by other Iowa family business leaders.
Are you interested in hosting?
Do you have an awesome facility that you'd like to share with the Midwest's finest businesses? Connect with jayne.kielman@uni.edu to learn more about hosting.
