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Some of the largest and most famous family businesses in the world, such as Canada’s Empire Company, Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook and the Rothschild family’s Paris Orleans, reported vastly contrasting results in the last week.

Empire Company, the holding group controlled by the Sobey family, said on 28 June that sales rose to $16.25 billion (€12.91 billion) for the year ending 5 May 2012, up from around $15.9 billion the previous fiscal year.

Crisis or no crisis, French family-controlled drinks-maker Remy Cointreau has reported annual revenues of more than €1 billion for the first time in its history, while luxury goods group Prada has seen net income for the first quarter shoot up by more than 100%.

Paris-based Remy Cointreau, behind brands such as Remy Martin cognac and Mount Gay rum, said preliminary sales for the year ending 31 March rose by 13% to €1.02 billion. It had a turnover of €907.8 million in the previous fiscal year.

At a time when the eurozone crisis shows no sign of abating, family businesses such as America Movil, Prada and LVMH are giving mixed signals about their expansion plans.

According to Carlos Slim Domit, co-chairman of Mexican telecommunications group America Movil, now is a "good moment" to invest in Europe because of the continent's ongoing debt crisis.

From Campari to Ferragamo, a number of family businesses across the world have seen their revenues grow during the first quarter of the year, while Canadian train and plane maker Bombardier has seen its sales nosedive.

In Italy, drinks company Campari, which is controlled by the Garavoglia family, said on 15 May that sales increased by 4% to €279.3 million during the first three months of 2012. Pre-tax profit at the Milan-based group also rose by 4.6% to €52.8 million during the quarter.