Family Business United Celebrates 15 Years Of Championing Family Firms

Family Business United (FBU), the UK's independent media, membership and advocacy platform for the family business community, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Founded in 2011 by Paul Andrews, FBU has spent a decade and a half telling the stories of family firms, sharing their wisdom and making the case for their vital contribution to communities and the wider economy.

Fifteen Years Of Championing Family Firms

When FBU launched in 2011, family businesses were often overlooked in mainstream business commentary, despite their scale and enduring impact. Fifteen years on, FBU has become a trusted home for the sector, bringing together business owning families, next generation leaders and the advisers who support them, with a membership that continues to grow.

Over that time FBU has grown its work across content, research, events, awards and membership. Its research and recognition programmes, including the Global Family Business Think Tank, annual surveys, research into the largest and oldest family firms and continuing drive to publish family business news and insights have shone a light on the people and companies driving the sector forward. Its practical guides cover the issues that matter most to families in business: succession, governance, the next generation, values and purpose, communication and family dynamics.

FBU has also become a leading advocate for the sector on policy. Most recently it has campaigned on reforms to Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR), making the case to government that family firms need stability and confidence to invest for the long term.

Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United, said: "When I started Family Business United fifteen years ago, I wanted to give family firms the recognition and the voice they deserved. These businesses think in generations, not quarters. They invest in their people, stand by their communities and build value that lasts. It has been a privilege to share their stories and to stand alongside them, especially when times have been tough."

"This anniversary is not about looking back, it is about the next fifteen years. Family businesses face real challenges, from succession and governance to the impact of tax reform on their ability to plan for the future."

"FBU will continue to champion them, to make the case for policies that support long term ownership, and to celebrate the families who keep so much of the UK economy moving. To every family firm, member, partner and supporter who has been part of our journey, thank you."