Компания Betts из Фресно заняла первое место в рейтинге старейших семейных предприятий Центральной долины Сан-Хоакин

An archival photo from Betts Company, founded in 1868 and ranked No. 1 on The Business Journal’s 2026 list of the Central San Joaquin Valley’s oldest family-owned businesses. The Fresno company is now in its sixth generation of family ownership. Written by Business Journal staff The Business Journal’s 2026 ranking of the Oldest Family-Owned Businesses in the Central San Joaquin Valley is its largest yet, with 68 companies representing industries ranging from agriculture and construction to professional services, manufacturing and hospitality. The list, published in the Aug. 21 Family Owned Business Awards issue, ranks companies by the number of years the business has been owned by the same family. This year’s companies span nearly a century and a half of Valley business history. The oldest was founded in 1868, while the newest company on the list dates to 2014. The increase to 68 companies is substantial. The list published in the 2026 Book of Lists included 40 companies, as did the versions published in the 2024 and 2023 books. The growth largely reflects increased participation in this year’s survey, including businesses appearing on the list for the first time. Betts Company remains Valley’s oldest family business Betts Company of Fresno again tops the ranking. Founded in 1868 by William Michael Betts, the company is now in its sixth generation and reports 220 employees. The company is a spring manufacturer and truck parts distributor. Betts Company has held the No. 1 position on each of the last four lists. At No. 2 is Selma law firm Shepard, Shepard & Janian, founded in 1883 by Elmer E. Shepard. The fourth-generation firm has also maintained its position for four consecutive lists. Two businesses founded in 1886 share the No. 3 ranking. Schultz Ranch Inc. of Riverdale is a fifth-generation farming operation founded by William Henry Schultz. The company reports that its farm was the first listed on the Fresno County Centennial Farm list. Pacific Publishing Group Inc., publisher of The Business Journal, was also founded in 1886 and is in its fifth generation. Rounding out the top five is Fresno law firm Baker Manock & Jensen, founded in 1906. More than a dozen businesses predate World War II Ponderosa, founded in O’Neals in 1908, ranks No. 6, followed by BMI Mechanical Inc. of Tulare, founded in 1910. San Francisco Floral Co. of Fresno dates to 1913, while Sam’s Shoe Store in Reedley was founded in 1914. Baloian Farms, founded in 1917, rounds out the top 10. Other longtime Valley businesses near the top include Valley Lahvosh Baking Co., founded in 1922; Lewis C. Nelson and Sons Inc., founded in 1928; Fresno Neon Sign Co., founded in 1932; and A. Nonini Winery, Steele Printing and Sunnyland Mills, all founded in 1935. Caglia Environmental and Dee’s Plumbing, both founded in 1939, share the No. 17 ranking. Family businesses span Valley industries The longevity represented by the list is not confined to any one sector. Agriculture is represented by businesses including Schultz Ranch, Baloian Farms, Nichols Farms and Wawona Frozen Foods. Construction and related trades include Ponderosa, BMI Mechanical, Lewis C. Nelson and Sons, Lyles Diversified, Fresno Roofing Company, Heritage Bomanite, Pickett & Sons Construction, Don Pickett & Associates and Fresno Construction. Professional services include law firms, accounting businesses, engineering firms, real estate companies and insurance providers. Manufacturers and food producers on the list include Sunnyland Mills, The Brownie Baker, Snowflake Designs, Visalia Ceramic Tile and Fiore Di Pasta, doing business as Primavera Foods USA. Restaurants, wineries and hospitality businesses also appear, including The Vineyard Restaurant, CRU Winery, Cracked Pepper Bistro, Wonder Valley Ranch Resort & Conference Center and Toca Madera Winery. Some are also major Valley employers Several companies on the longevity list have grown into sizable employers. Lyles Diversified Inc., founded in 1945, reports 841 employees, the highest disclosed total on the list. London Properties reports 350 employees, while Wawona Frozen Foods reports 346. Turner Security Systems reports 250 employees, Betts Company reports 220 and Caglia Environmental reports 211. Visalia Ceramic Tile reports 180 employees, Barnes Welding Supply/Fresno Oxygen reports 177 and The Brownie Baker reports 155. Not every company disclosed employment figures. A list shaped by participation The rankings should not be interpreted as a complete inventory of every family-owned business operating in the Central San Joaquin Valley. The list is based on survey responses and Business Journal research, and not all businesses surveyed respond each year. That means an absence from the ranking does not necessarily indicate a business has closed, changed ownership or left the region. Likewise, movement in the rankings can result from changes in participation. When an older company joins or returns to the survey, companies founded later can move down even though nothing has changed about their own longevity.