Our Featured Programs & Services
The Centre for Family Business was established in 1997 as a support to family businesses in the Waterloo Region and surrounding areas. Today, CFFB is comprised of over 55 family businesses representing a broad spectrum of industries and ranging in size from just a few to several hundred employees. Join our family of businesses and explore how we can help yours.
2026 CFFB Milestone & Fundraising Gala
Celebrating member milestones
This year, we proudly recognize the remarkable anniversaries of our members, each marking a significant achievement that reflects their commitment, resilience, and contributions to our community.
| Member | Milestone (Years) |
|---|---|
| Amkad Metal Components inc. | 30 |
| Astron Specialty Metals | 60 |
| Henry walser | 25 |
| schiedel construction inc. | 75 |
Member Testimonials
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Our Valued Sponsors
The CFFB’s sponsors provide our membership with invaluable insight and experience. Listen to how our partnership with these companies can benefit you.
Josslin Insurance has brokers who specialize in insurance solutions for home, auto, business, farm, disability and life, finding the right coverage for you, your business and your employee benefits program.
CFFB members may also save up to 15% off their home and auto insurance through Josslin.
The Part Time CFO Services LLP team provides in-house accounting and finance help to work with your existing staff. Our team members have valuable insights and are trusted, strategic business partners who collaboratively work with family or private enterprises, building and implementing customized financial and management solutions.
Our team at Richardson Wealth is available to support your business vision and help you fully realize your long-term goals with an integrated approach to family and wealth planning. Fundamental issues involving tax, investing, insurance and succession planning can’t be dealt with effectively as stand-alone topics. Here are some of the key issues we can help with:
- Tax efficient corporate and personal investing
- Integrated Financial Planning
- Individual Pension Plans
- Insurance Planning
- Business Succession Planning
- Preparing for a Business Sale
With more than 170 years of experience in serving family enterprises like yours, our team of dedicated professionals brings deep knowledge and offers a wide range of services to help you grow your company today while protecting your wealth and supporting your legacy. We understand the challenges you face, but we also appreciate how your unique strengths as a family business are an integral part of your success.
No matter where you are on your business journey, we’re at your side to help you craft the right approach to addressing your needs across your business, including:
- Continuity and succession planning
- Defining purpose and values with a family charter
- Tax and wealth planning
- Family management and conflict management
- Board composition and responsibilities
- Digital strategy and transformation
- Revenue models and efficiency improvements
- Financing and deal opportunities
- Family and business governance
CFFB Annual General meeting with speaker neil thornton
📅 Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
🕓 Time: 11:30am – 2:00pm
📍Location: Conestoga College – Waterloo Campus
Event Details:
We look forward to welcoming members to our Annual General Meeting this September, bringing members together to reflect on our accomplishments, strengthen community connections, and discuss the year ahead.
Lead Change with a Strategic Plan that Actually Works with Neil Thornton | Hint: The Planning is Easy, the ‘Doing’ is the Hard Part
Strategic planning should be more than an annual retreat, a complicated document or a set of ambitious statements that rarely influence daily decisions. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations require a clear and compelling set of goals and vision that moves people beyond short-term problem-solving and reactionary thinking. This keynote explores how leaders can establish an honest picture of their current reality, define what they want to create and translate their focus into meaningful priorities that people throughout the organization can understand, support and act upon.
Drawing on proven strategies from the trenches of experience, participants will learn the essential elements of an effective and practical strategic plan: what, why, how, when and who. The presentation will examine how to establish measurable goals, determine strategic actions and timelines, assign champions, engage employees and create a culture of accountability. Most importantly, participants will discover how leadership presence, communication and influence can bring a strategic plan to life—moving it beyond the boardroom and turning vision into coordinated action, measurable progress and sustainable results.
Objectives:
- Understand the three key questions for any planning process
- Apply the Balanced Scorecard approach (Kaplan) with 5 key priorities
- Understand the strategic planning is easy; it’s the ‘doing’ that is the hard part
- Ensure fingerprints are on the planning process at every level of the organization
- Engaging people in the process through vision, mission, and values
- Speaking and coaching skills required
- Remember that your culture will eat your strategic plan for breakfast!