Iowa Family Business Conference
Join us in Pella on Nov. 11, 2026
The family behind Pella Corporation, 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.
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.
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.
Agenda & Speakers
9:00 a.m. — Welcome from the Vermeer Family
9:30 a.m. — Branding your business with the family
10:30 a.m — Breakout option A: Philanthropy and giving back
Philanthropy can be a powerful spark for connection in family businesses—bringing generations together, strengthening shared values, and creating a sense of purpose that extends far beyond the enterprise. This session dives into how families can design tax‑smart giving structures and build simple, repeatable processes that turn charitable decisions into meaningful conversations. We’ll explore real examples of families using donor‑advised funds, foundations, and collaborative giving to boost harmony, deepen engagement, and reinforce the legacy they want to carry forward.
Speakers TBA
10:30 a.m — Breakout option B: Next-generation experiences
noon — lunch and keynote address
1:15 p.m — Breakout option a: leading through loss
Speakers TBA
1:15 p.m — Breakout option B: exploring types of governance
This session will introduce the core building blocks of family business governance by breaking down the essential documents families use to strengthen communication, clarify roles, and support long‑term continuity. We'll walk through practical examples of tools such as family charters, ownership agreements, employment policies, and family council structures—highlighting real companies that have implemented them and the reasons these tools helped their business and family relationships thrive. The discussion will also outline how to choose the right governance elements based on your family’s stage, dynamics, and priorities, giving attendees a clear roadmap for where to begin and how to build an effective governance system over time.
2:30 PM — Molly V.'s Story
Family businesses are built on more than financial statements and organizational charts. They're built on relationships. When those relationships become strained, even the best intentions can lead to difficult decisions.
Drawing from her own experience leading her family's manufacturing business, Molly Varangkounh will share the lessons she learned through leadership transitions, sibling dynamics, succession planning, and ultimately making the difficult decision to walk away. With honesty, perspective, and practical takeaways, she'll explore the conversations she wishes her family had sooner, the structures she wishes had been in place, and why protecting both the business and the family doesn't always mean avoiding hard conversations.
Whether you're part of the current generation, the next generation, or somewhere in between, you'll leave with practical ideas for strengthening communication, clarifying expectations, and navigating the complexities that make family businesses unlike any other.
4:00 p.m. — tours of vermeer
6:00 p.m. — Conference concludes
Thank you to our partners!
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.
