Built to Last
What does it take to build a business that lasts?
An idea helps. So does capital. But talk to the people behind some of Greater Cincinnati’s most successful family-owned and privately held businesses and a different formula emerges: take care of people, adapt when the market changes, build a strong culture, and think beyond the next quarter.
Those qualities were on display as the Goering Center celebrated its 2026 Family and Private Business Awards at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati last week.
The annual awards recognize Greater Cincinnati companies for achievements in strategic planning, sustained growth, innovation, leadership and community impact.
The Business Behind Cincinnati’s Economy
Family-owned and privately held companies don’t always receive the attention of publicly traded corporations, but their impact is visible throughout Greater Cincinnati. That's one reason the Goering Center exists.
Based at the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, the Center provides education, resources and peer networks specifically designed for family-owned and privately held companies, helping leaders address everything from strategy and leadership development to business transitions and succession.
The 2026 Family and Private Business Award honorees are
Appro-Rx
Centennial and Talent Magnet Institute
CPN Legal
HBH Holdings Inc.
Junk King Cincinnati
Knox Manufacturing Solutions
Perfection Group
Riverside Electric Inc.
Taylor Logistics Inc.
WSA USA
But collectively, this year’s honorees tell a bigger Cincinnati story. They represent manufacturers, professional-services firms health care, logistics, and businesses built around solving problems customers face every day.
Some are family enterprises. Others are privately held companies. But each of them are part of an entrepreneurial ecosystem that creates jobs, develops leaders and keeps significant economic activity rooted in Greater Cincinnati.
Each arrived at the awards with a different story. Together, they demonstrate something important about Cincinnati’s business community: innovation doesn’t have to come from a startup with a billion-dollar valuation.
Steve Hater was recognized as the 2026 Volunteer of the Year for his service to the Goering Center and the region's business community.
During his years as the Center’s Membership Director, Hater helped grow the organization by doing something deceptively simple: connecting people.
He built relationships among business leaders and helped create a community where owners and executives could share experiences, learn from one another and work through challenges that can be difficult to discuss outside a trusted peer group.
In business, relationships are often discussed as a strategy. Hater’s career demonstrates what happens when they become a commitment.
The 2026 Goering Center honorees remind us that some of the region's most important economic stories aren't about businesses arriving in Cincinnati. They’re about Cincinnati businesses finding ways to grow, evolve and stay.
Appro-Rx
Centennial and Talent Magnet Institute
CPN Legal
HBH Holdings Inc.
Junk King Cincinnati
Knox Manufacturing Solutions
Riverside Electric Inc.
Taylor Logistics Inc.
WSA USA