The Many Faces of Family Business

They are radio station owners, dairy farmers, dentists, restaurant owners, technology entrepreneurs, manufacturers and everything in between. They hail from every region of the country, from the largest city to the most rural county. So what unifies such a diverse group of people? In addition to having an interest in a family business, they have all reached the highest level of politics and are current members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Family businesses have long been a critical part of the U.S. economy. Studies show that family businesses employ 63% of the U.S. workforce andgenerate57%ofthenation’sGrossDomesticProduct. With5.5 million family businesses, it’s no wonder that a significant portion of the U.S. Congress has a family business connection. But, until now, there was no specific data on the number of elected officials who have this experience.