September 20, 2017

Kolar Design is the recipient of the 2017 Goering Center Family & Private Business Finalist Award for Private Businesses with fewer than 25 employees. This annual honor is bestowed upon only two companies and exemplifies what family and private business is and can be.

Kolar Design, founded by Kelly Kolar in 1990, is passionate about finding new and better ways to connect people, places, and brands – from healing environments focused on the patient and family experience to global workplaces that blend corporate and cultural identity. The firm of 17 has always used current employees as the best recruiting tool for the company and has proven that Kolar University is their “secret sauce” for attracting and retaining top-notch talent and emerging leaders.

“We want to thank the Center for this award and the business community that has supported our growth.”

— Kelly Kolar, President, and Founder

This annual recognition program, in its 17th year, honors Cincinnati regional businesses that exemplify the best in family and private business practices. This year, 570 businesses were nominated for these awards. Kolar Design was evaluated by an independent panel of judges who evaluated hiring and employment practices, specifically as to whether those practices have helped Kolar Design unify a multigenerational workforce.

After being named one of only 75 semi-finalists, Kolar Design was then selected as a Finalist for Private Businesses with fewer than 25 employees. Kolar Design is one of an estimated 4,500 family and private businesses in the Cincinnati region; the Goering Center has 330 of these businesses as active members with a goal of 400 members by the end of 2018.  Membership is not a prerequisite for the awards or for a nomination, as nearly half of the semi-finalists are not current Goering Center members.

Goering Center Awards Press Release

//business.uc.edu/academics/centers/goering/News/news-releases/cincinnatis-top-six-private-and-family-businesses1.html