Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Center for Family Business honored the Snyder family and Snyder Associated Companies Inc. with the 2009 Distinguished Family Business Award.
The presentation was made December 2 by Dr. Tony Atwater, IUP president, and Dr. Robert Camp, dean of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology.
In addition to receiving a plaque, the honored family business is recognized with a tree planted along the walkway of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology as a part of the Allegheny Arboretum at IUP.
Created in 1997, the Center for Family Business focuses on the recognition, support, and development of family business. It serves business owners, their families, and key employees through educational programs and networking opportunities.
Snyder Associated Companies is a family-owned business headquartered in Kittanning. It was founded in 1941 by brothers Chuck and Elmer Snyder. The original entity was engaged in civil construction projects in west central Pennsylvania. During World War II, the company began work in coal mining.
Today, Snyder Associated Companies is the holding company for several operating subsidiaries in the following sectors: mining, oil and natural gas exploration and production, involvement with a national oil field service company, manufacturing of cement and concrete products, manufacturing of agricultural and biological products, and real estate. The company is also a major investor in a bank holding company.
The holding company currently has multigenerational management ranging from the second generation through the fourth generation. Charles Snyder Jr., second generation, currently serves as the holding company's chairman of the board.
The mining and oil and gas sectors operate exclusively in Western Pennsylvania, as does the manufacturing of cement and concrete products. The agricultural and biological products company operates globally, with ten facilities in North America, Europe, South Africa, and Australia.
The publicly traded oil field service company is based in Indiana and has twenty-five service centers in several oil and natural gas producing regions of the United States. Snyder Associated Company's bank holding company is a majority owner of a community bank based in Armstrong County.