The family-owned, third-generation Crescent Ridge Dairy of Sharon, Massachusetts wins Family Business Award.
Sharon, MA, United States, 05/26/2007 – “We’re positively thrilled to win this award—especially against such esteemed family businesses as The Beal Companies (bealco.com) and Vita Needle (vitaneedle.com) for this historic, first-ever awards ceremony,” said Mark Parrish, CEO and the third generation of Parrishes to run Crescent Ridge Dairy. “This award really is a testimony to my grandparents, Malby and Mildred Parrish, who started this business 75 years ago during the Depression and laid the foundation for a business that thrives to this day.”
Today, Crescent Ridge Dairy employs 45 people and provides home delivery of all natural, rBST hormone-free milk, award-winning ice cream and more than 150 other top quality food items to more than 100 communities in the Boston area. In addition to their home delivery service, Crescent Ridge’s “Dairy Bar” offers 31 flavors of ice cream and five flavors of frozen yogurt as well as other dairy products on-site at their Sharon location at 407 Bay Road, open year-round, Sunday to Saturday from 11 am to 9 pm The Dairy Bar employees 50 college and high school students during the busy summer season.
The sponsors of the May 9 event, the Northeastern University Center for Family Businesses and the Family Firm Institute, are non-profit, membership organizations that provide education, networking opportunities, and other resources to family businesses to help them achieve greater levels of success. With the first annual Massachusetts Family Business Awards, these organizations have created a vehicle to recognize the accomplishments of all Massachusetts family businesses as well as spotlighting the achievements of the 10 finalists who best met a number of criteria, including:
- Business success;
- Positive business and family linkages;
- Multi-generational family involvement;
- Contributions to the community and industry; and
- Innovative business practices or strategies.
“Family-owned businesses are the backbone of the New England and American economy with 80 percent of all American businesses, including 35 percent of the Fortune 500, being family-owned and operated,” said Ted Clark, executive director of the Northeastern University Center for Family Business. “Family businesses face more challenges than traditional corporate businesses and it’s a tribute to Crescent Ridge Dairy and our other award winners and finalists that they have been able to not only last through multiple generations and several difficult economic periods but achieve a high level of success.”
In addition to the aforementioned finalists in the small companies category, finalists for the for the other two categories, medium-sized and large companies respectively, included Cymbals (zildzian.com), Stavis Seafoods (stavis.com), and Grossman Marketing (grossmanmarketing.com); Bernie and Phyl's (bernieandphyls.com), New England Coffee (necoffeeco.com), Sonesta Hotels (sonesta.com), and D&P Associates. The Massachusetts Family Business Awards took place on May 9 at the Sonesta Hotel, 40 Edwin Land Boulevard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Quality, Convenience & Extreme Customer Service
Serving more than 100 communities throughout the Boston area, Crescent Ridge Dairy provides the convenience, quality and customer care demanded in today’s busy lifestyles.
In addition to their home delivery service, Crescent Ridge’s “Dairy Bar” offers 31 flavors of ice cream and five flavors of frozen yogurt in addition to other dairy products on-site at their Sharon location year-round, Sunday to Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm Crescent Ridge’s Dairy Bar has been voted “Best Ice Cream Stand” by Boston Parent’s Paper and WRKO Radio’s Pat Whitley Show. Their ice cream has been deemed worthy of “Gourmet Greatness” from The Phantom Gourmet. Crescent Ridge Dairy is located at 355 Bay Road in Sharon, Mass.
