Wed May 7, 2025
USF Honors John’s Grill, Clement Nursery and Luster National, Inc. with 2025 Gellert Family Business Family Business Awards
at University of San Francisco
(5:30pm)
The University of San Francisco (USF) School of Management is pleased to announce John's Grill, Clement Nursery and Luster National, Inc. as recipients of its 2025 Gellert Family Business Awards. The annual award recognizes extraordinary business achievement and community service from selected families-in-business. The awardees will be honored during a 5:30 pm reception on May 7, 2025 in the Handlery Room, 2800 Turk Street, San Francisco.
"John's Grill, Luster National, Inc. and Clement Nursery are exemplary family-owned firms that practice social responsibility by serving their community, an important core value of the university," said Dr. Otgo Erhemjamt, dean of the USF School of Management. "The lifelong relationships they build with their patrons support their continuing presence in San Francisco and the greater Bay region."
Nestled in a building two blocks from Union Square and not far from San Francisco's Marconi Convention Center and major hotels, John's Grill has been hosting celebrities from all over the world for more than 100 years. It was created in 1908, only two years after San Francisco's devastating earthquake and was the first downtown restaurant to open after the quake. From the time when San Francisco was rebuilding itself and becoming the financial capital of the western United States, John's Grill was - and still is - the downtown gathering place for those who run the town and those who want to run it.
The buildings that make up Clement Nursery date back to 1904 when they were part of a dairy farm. Aside from its rich history as San Francisco's oldest nursery, Clement Nursery is also known for its inventory of particularly resilient and tough plants. The nursery sits just a few blocks from Baker Beach, in the harshest of environments. Focusing on sustainability, the nursery offers a selection of California native plants that have low-water needs once established and carries drought-tolerant species from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand--places that have a similar climate to California.
Luster National, Inc. (Luster) is a strategic consulting and program management firm that works on large, complex infrastructure programs across the United States. Luster provides professional services and solutions ranging from nationwide disaster recovery to strategic consulting and program management services on the California High Speed Rail Program. Luster is proud to be a family-owned business built on three pillars: client focus, professional integrity, and social responsibility. Founded in 1990 by father, Orville Luster and son Robert Luster, Luster is now embracing its third generation of family leadership.
"What is unique to independent, family-owned companies is their particular focus on service continuity in their communities," said USF Professor Dr. Monika Hudson, director of the Gellert Family Business Center. Gellert Advisory Board Chair Arthur Hindman noted "we are pleased this year's selected awardees include small and larger established enterprises from a range of critical industries".
As part of the recognition, USF School of Management professors and students will work with all three companies to provide a comprehensive, individualized assessment of business assistance USF can provide including intern placements. These could include marketing or technical aid, secession planning, or referral and networking strategies. The goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships where USF students learn from local, successful family businesses while providing them with the latest resources and business knowledge to support their efforts to thrive.
Since 1999, the USF Gellert Family Business Center's approach to service is to recognize excellence, keep family businesses informed, and develop family business leadership. The former Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation's mission was to promote educational, charitable, scientific, literary, or religious programs in the nine counties of the greater San Francisco Bay Area; the foundation was the primary contributor to the creation of the USF Gellert Family Business Center.
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"John's Grill, Luster National, Inc. and Clement Nursery are exemplary family-owned firms that practice social responsibility by serving their community, an important core value of the university," said Dr. Otgo Erhemjamt, dean of the USF School of Management. "The lifelong relationships they build with their patrons support their continuing presence in San Francisco and the greater Bay region."
Nestled in a building two blocks from Union Square and not far from San Francisco's Marconi Convention Center and major hotels, John's Grill has been hosting celebrities from all over the world for more than 100 years. It was created in 1908, only two years after San Francisco's devastating earthquake and was the first downtown restaurant to open after the quake. From the time when San Francisco was rebuilding itself and becoming the financial capital of the western United States, John's Grill was - and still is - the downtown gathering place for those who run the town and those who want to run it.
The buildings that make up Clement Nursery date back to 1904 when they were part of a dairy farm. Aside from its rich history as San Francisco's oldest nursery, Clement Nursery is also known for its inventory of particularly resilient and tough plants. The nursery sits just a few blocks from Baker Beach, in the harshest of environments. Focusing on sustainability, the nursery offers a selection of California native plants that have low-water needs once established and carries drought-tolerant species from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand--places that have a similar climate to California.
Luster National, Inc. (Luster) is a strategic consulting and program management firm that works on large, complex infrastructure programs across the United States. Luster provides professional services and solutions ranging from nationwide disaster recovery to strategic consulting and program management services on the California High Speed Rail Program. Luster is proud to be a family-owned business built on three pillars: client focus, professional integrity, and social responsibility. Founded in 1990 by father, Orville Luster and son Robert Luster, Luster is now embracing its third generation of family leadership.
"What is unique to independent, family-owned companies is their particular focus on service continuity in their communities," said USF Professor Dr. Monika Hudson, director of the Gellert Family Business Center. Gellert Advisory Board Chair Arthur Hindman noted "we are pleased this year's selected awardees include small and larger established enterprises from a range of critical industries".
As part of the recognition, USF School of Management professors and students will work with all three companies to provide a comprehensive, individualized assessment of business assistance USF can provide including intern placements. These could include marketing or technical aid, secession planning, or referral and networking strategies. The goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships where USF students learn from local, successful family businesses while providing them with the latest resources and business knowledge to support their efforts to thrive.
Since 1999, the USF Gellert Family Business Center's approach to service is to recognize excellence, keep family businesses informed, and develop family business leadership. The former Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation's mission was to promote educational, charitable, scientific, literary, or religious programs in the nine counties of the greater San Francisco Bay Area; the foundation was the primary contributor to the creation of the USF Gellert Family Business Center.
The University of San Francisco (USF) School of Management is pleased to announce John's Grill, Clement Nursery and Luster National, Inc. as recipients of its 2025 Gellert Family Business Awards. The annual award recognizes extraordinary business achievement and community service from selected families-in-business. The awardees will be honored during a 5:30 pm reception on May 7, 2025 in the Handlery Room, 2800 Turk Street, San Francisco.
"John's Grill, Luster National, Inc. and Clement Nursery are exemplary family-owned firms that practice social responsibility by serving their community, an important core value of the university," said Dr. Otgo Erhemjamt, dean of the USF School of Management. "The lifelong relationships they build with their patrons support their continuing presence in San Francisco and the greater Bay region."
Nestled in a building two blocks from Union Square and not far from San Francisco's Marconi Convention Center and major hotels, John's Grill has been hosting celebrities from all over the world for more than 100 years. It was created in 1908, only two years after San Francisco's devastating earthquake and was the first downtown restaurant to open after the quake. From the time when San Francisco was rebuilding itself and becoming the financial capital of the western United States, John's Grill was - and still is - the downtown gathering place for those who run the town and those who want to run it.
The buildings that make up Clement Nursery date back to 1904 when they were part of a dairy farm. Aside from its rich history as San Francisco's oldest nursery, Clement Nursery is also known for its inventory of particularly resilient and tough plants. The nursery sits just a few blocks from Baker Beach, in the harshest of environments. Focusing on sustainability, the nursery offers a selection of California native plants that have low-water needs once established and carries drought-tolerant species from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand--places that have a similar climate to California.
Luster National, Inc. (Luster) is a strategic consulting and program management firm that works on large, complex infrastructure programs across the United States. Luster provides professional services and solutions ranging from nationwide disaster recovery to strategic consulting and program management services on the California High Speed Rail Program. Luster is proud to be a family-owned business built on three pillars: client focus, professional integrity, and social responsibility. Founded in 1990 by father, Orville Luster and son Robert Luster, Luster is now embracing its third generation of family leadership.
"What is unique to independent, family-owned companies is their particular focus on service continuity in their communities," said USF Professor Dr. Monika Hudson, director of the Gellert Family Business Center. Gellert Advisory Board Chair Arthur Hindman noted "we are pleased this year's selected awardees include small and larger established enterprises from a range of critical industries".
As part of the recognition, USF School of Management professors and students will work with all three companies to provide a comprehensive, individualized assessment of business assistance USF can provide including intern placements. These could include marketing or technical aid, secession planning, or referral and networking strategies. The goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships where USF students learn from local, successful family businesses while providing them with the latest resources and business knowledge to support their efforts to thrive.
Since 1999, the USF Gellert Family Business Center's approach to service is to recognize excellence, keep family businesses informed, and develop family business leadership. The former Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation's mission was to promote educational, charitable, scientific, literary, or religious programs in the nine counties of the greater San Francisco Bay Area; the foundation was the primary contributor to the creation of the USF Gellert Family Business Center.
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"John's Grill, Luster National, Inc. and Clement Nursery are exemplary family-owned firms that practice social responsibility by serving their community, an important core value of the university," said Dr. Otgo Erhemjamt, dean of the USF School of Management. "The lifelong relationships they build with their patrons support their continuing presence in San Francisco and the greater Bay region."
Nestled in a building two blocks from Union Square and not far from San Francisco's Marconi Convention Center and major hotels, John's Grill has been hosting celebrities from all over the world for more than 100 years. It was created in 1908, only two years after San Francisco's devastating earthquake and was the first downtown restaurant to open after the quake. From the time when San Francisco was rebuilding itself and becoming the financial capital of the western United States, John's Grill was - and still is - the downtown gathering place for those who run the town and those who want to run it.
The buildings that make up Clement Nursery date back to 1904 when they were part of a dairy farm. Aside from its rich history as San Francisco's oldest nursery, Clement Nursery is also known for its inventory of particularly resilient and tough plants. The nursery sits just a few blocks from Baker Beach, in the harshest of environments. Focusing on sustainability, the nursery offers a selection of California native plants that have low-water needs once established and carries drought-tolerant species from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand--places that have a similar climate to California.
Luster National, Inc. (Luster) is a strategic consulting and program management firm that works on large, complex infrastructure programs across the United States. Luster provides professional services and solutions ranging from nationwide disaster recovery to strategic consulting and program management services on the California High Speed Rail Program. Luster is proud to be a family-owned business built on three pillars: client focus, professional integrity, and social responsibility. Founded in 1990 by father, Orville Luster and son Robert Luster, Luster is now embracing its third generation of family leadership.
"What is unique to independent, family-owned companies is their particular focus on service continuity in their communities," said USF Professor Dr. Monika Hudson, director of the Gellert Family Business Center. Gellert Advisory Board Chair Arthur Hindman noted "we are pleased this year's selected awardees include small and larger established enterprises from a range of critical industries".
As part of the recognition, USF School of Management professors and students will work with all three companies to provide a comprehensive, individualized assessment of business assistance USF can provide including intern placements. These could include marketing or technical aid, secession planning, or referral and networking strategies. The goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships where USF students learn from local, successful family businesses while providing them with the latest resources and business knowledge to support their efforts to thrive.
Since 1999, the USF Gellert Family Business Center's approach to service is to recognize excellence, keep family businesses informed, and develop family business leadership. The former Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation's mission was to promote educational, charitable, scientific, literary, or religious programs in the nine counties of the greater San Francisco Bay Area; the foundation was the primary contributor to the creation of the USF Gellert Family Business Center.
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