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Part of running a family-owned business is not sacrificing quality for growth, according to Alan Fuerstman, founder, chairman and chief executive of Montage International.
It was a fitting message that was delivered alongside his son Michael Fuerstman, co-founder and creative director of Montage’s boutique spinoff brand Pendry Hotels & Resorts.
The father-son duo were the keynote speakers at the Business Journal’s 26th annual Family-Owned Business Awards held last Thursday at the Irvine Marriott, where more than 300 people attended.
Alan, the man behind the Irvine-based owner and manager of high-end hotels, got his start as a part-time doorman at a Marriott. His son Michael joined the family business in 2011 and helped lead the opening of Orange County’s first Pendry hotel in Newport Beach in 2023.
Together, they manage 17 luxury hotel properties across the Montage and Pendry brands with several projects under construction in the Caribbean, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
“It’s so much fun working with family for those of you who get to do that every day,” said Alan, a recipient of the Business Journal’s 2022 Family-Owned Business Award.
Five Honorees
The event’s five honorees, selected from 46 nominees, were:
• Irvine-based nonprofit Dragon Kim Foundation, in the small business category.
• San Clemente-based construction firm Consolidated Contracting, in the medium business category.
• Santa Ana-based electrical distributor Main Electric Supply Company, in the large business category.
• Mission Viejo-based full-service signage company Elephant Signage & Display Int. won the Up and Coming Award.
• San Juan Capistrano developer Rancho Mission Viejo earned the Longevity Award.
Upcoming Events
There are three more Business Journal events coming up this year.
The Innovator of the Year Awards will be the next, held on Sept. 10. Raymond Cohen, co-founder and former chief executive of recently-acquired Axonics Inc., will be this year’s keynote speaker.
The Women in Business Awards will be held Oct. 15 and will feature City of Hope Orange County President Annette Walker as the main speaker.
The General Counsel Awards is scheduled for Nov. 6 with Erwin Chemerinsky returning as the emcee.