The Siemon Company has been selected as a finalist in the Family Business of the Year Awards program sponsored by the University of Connecticut's Family Business Center.

The program recognizes family businesses in Connecticut that embody core family values and the best of American free enterprise.

In addition to being a finalist for this award, The Siemon Company was also recently ranked as Connecticut's No. 1 optical fiber company by the Hartford Business
Journal.

"We're honored that UConn selected us to be one of the four finalists," says Siemon spokesman Mike Clemens. "It demonstrates that Connecticut is committed to building family businesses. It's even more of a treat to receive this honor in our centennial year."

The Siemon Company was founded in 1903 and has been celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout 2003.

"Family businesses are the cornerstone of the Connecticut's economy," says Priscilla Cale, director of the university's Family Business Program. "What these family firms have collectively contributed to their local communities, as well as communities on a global scale, is outstanding."

The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and awards presented on Nov. 25 at UConn's Storrs campus.

The Siemon Company, based in Watertown, CT, is a manufacturer of network cabling systems and components. For more information visit www.siemon.com.