This being the official start of the holiday season, we thought it would be a good opportunity to focus on one of the economy’s most important elements the family-run business.

There are, of course, prominent family names that have helped shape the city’s growth: the Chandlers, the Gettys and the O’Malleys, to name a few.

But old-line wealth hardly reflects most family-run businesses. In today’s Los Angeles, they are more likely seen in the business districts of Koreatown or the San Gabriel Valley, where newly arrived immigrants might be operating restaurants, groceries or small factories. A lot of them were also started right after World War II and grew up with Southern California.

The “Family Ties” package that begins on page 1 is deliberately broad it covers businesses ranging from poultry wholesaling to real estate. The common denominator is L.A. Whether it’s four decades ago or three years ago, these families have committed themselves to this community. That’s not usually the kind of economic indicator that will end up making headlines, but it’s definitely one worth noting.

Mark Lacter

Editor