What's good for the family is good for the family business.
June 17, 2009 - Click here
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Our Members

Each member of The Family Business Alliance works independently -- and collaborates with other members of The Family Business Alliance when it is in the client's best interest.

The founding members of The Family Business Alliance are as follows.

John A. Kendzel


Senior Vice President for FirstMerit Bank, Northwest Ohio Region. John has over 24 years of experience in commercial banking and has spent the last 11 years assisting middle market companies in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan with all facets of corporate lending, treasury management and financial consulting.

John is a graduate of The University of Toledo with a degree in Finance. He has served on numerous boards and is an active volunteer for the United Way, Big Brothers & Sisters and the Toledo Rotary.

Timothy D. Guitteau


Tim brings sixteen years of insurance experience to the Brooks Insurance Agency team. Though he has a strong background in a variety of areas, he has special expertise in the transportation, warehousing, manufacturing and construction industries. He was an insurance consultant with the Ohio Ready Mix Association, is involved extensively with the Ohio Contractor’s Association and the International Risk Management Institute.

Tim's success in developing productive, long-term relationships with clients is due in great part to his ability to listen, as well as his integrity in delivering what has been promised. A Toledo native, Tim is a graduate of The University of Toledo and is an avid supporter and volunteer with the UT athletic department where he serves on various committees. He also is a board member with the American Heart Association, and a volunteer with the Chamber of Commerce, United Way and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Maumee, Ohio with their three children.

Nicholas J. Cron, JD



An attorney and shareholder with Rohrbachers Cron Manahan Trimble & Zimmerman Co. LPA who grew up in a small business family and works extensively with closely held and family businesses. His experience includes M&A, succession planning, formation issues, employee issues, estate planning, tax and real estate.

Mr. Cron holds a Juris Doctorate from University of Toledo and an LLM in Taxation from Wayne State University. He is a licensed attorney in Ohio and Florida. He is a member of the Toledo, Ohio and Florida Bars Associations. He has written extensively for and serviced as seminar director for National Business Institute on topics ranging from estate planning to business issues.

Mr. Cron has been active in local business organizations. He is a past president of the Toledo Area Small Business Association (TASBA). He currently is member of the Board of Directors of Toledo Chamber of Commerce. He is chairman of the Levy Review Committee for the Toledo Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Cron having grown up in a family that was involved in a closely held small business for almost 100 years has lived the small business experience and has focused his practice on such businesses and their issues both personal and legal.

Donald B. Levitt, Ph.D.



President of Levitt Consulting, Inc., started his career as a psychologist with a specialty in family dynamics. He then went on to work in the corporate world at Ford Motor Company and Owens Corning - where he learned how companies and leaders succeed and fail.

In 1998 Don started his own family business - Levitt Consulting - with his wife Julia serving as bookkeeper and office manager. While he has consulted successfully with major corporations such as Pfizer, Sprint, Deloitte and Touche, Bechtel, and Masco, his special interest is in small and mid-size family-owned and closely-held businesses. This is where his unique expertise in family dynamics and management consulting helps family businesses to succeed as both a business and a family.

Dr. Levitt, a licensed psychologist, is a graduate of the Human Resource Executive Program at the University of Michigan Business School, and has been awarded the Certificate in Family Business Advising from the Family Firm Institute.

David Moore



Senior Vice President of Laux & Company. His transaction experience encompasses sell-side and buy-side merger and acquisition advisory services, private placements of debt, mezzanine and equity securities, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, valuations, and strategic advisory. He has significant experience in advising privately-held and family-operated companies on strategic matters and addressing the unique challenges facing shareholders of family businesses. He has advised clients across a broad mix of industries including metals, consumer goods, automotive, manufacturing, distribution, and service.

Prior to joining Laux & Company, Mr. Moore was with National City's Investment Banking Group where he led merger and acquisition and corporate finance engagements. Previously, Mr. Moore worked in Corporate Development at R.R. Donnelley & Sons focusing on acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, and strategic restructurings, including assignments in Poland, Netherlands, and France. He also worked for Price Waterhouse in both the Audit and Corporate Finance Groups.

Mr. Moore earned his M.B.A. from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Finance, Marketing, and Management Strategy and his B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Miami University of Ohio. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Association for Corporate Growth.




Next Webinar

Risk Management: Protecting Assets and Employees in a Difficult Economy

(Read more about this webinar)
Date: 06/17



Our services include:
  • Succession planning
  • Personal financial planning
  • Estate planning
  • Strategic business planning
  • Building family teams
  • Boards of directors and advisors
  • Communication and conflct resolution
  • Development of the next generation