Honoring the Keepers of the Flame

This is a special issue for us, capturing part of a story we’ve long wanted to tell — businesses spanning generations that helped shape the Treasure Coast.

At least in the case of Indian River County, Vero Heritage beat us to the punch. The organization, dedicated to preserving the culture and heritage of the county, has identified 23 people in Indian River who work in the fields of their forebears and will honor them April 11 at a gala held at the Heritage Center in downtown Vero Beach.

Of course, there are plenty more who would qualify for the recognition, but these are the ones who agreed to participate. Vero Heritage required that honorees be under 55, come from families that arrived before 1925, and work in a field of or run a business of their forebears. Surprisingly, some of those honored will be the sixth generation working in a family field in Vero. 

Why are intergenerational businesses important to our communities? 

Mostly, they provide long-term economic stability. They are in it for the long term, and they think in terms of decades and across generations instead of financial quarters. They survive or thrive because of the lasting relationships they have built with customers — also across generations — and because of their reputations.

Skills and knowledge passed down ensure that each generation gets better. Best of all, in today’s rapidly changing world and business environment, intergenerational businesses create a sense of continuity.

Vero Heritage’s program is a great start on the Treasure Coast toward giving these businesses and the families who work in them the recognition they deserve. Now let’s turn an eye toward recognizing those families in St. Lucie and Martin counties that have sustained our economies over the last century.

 

 

 

 

Gregory Enns
Reach Gregory Enns or 772.940.9005.

 

Feb. 2026