Family Business/Business Family

In this episode, Peter Blommer, former chairman & CEO of the Blommer Chocolate Company, discusses the origins of the business, as well as how he came to be involved in it. He also tells the amazing story of how the company narrowly avoided a takeover by a massive multinational food corporation by making an appeal from one family-owned enterprise to another. 

We also chat with Andrew Koenig, second-generation CEO of CITY Furniture, about how he drew upon Toyota’s management philosophy and organizational structure to transform his family-owned furniture and mattress retailer.

And Glenda Bergey Leatherman, project manager at family-owned auto, truck and tire company Bergey’s, discusses how the business celebrated its 100th anniversary by giving thanks to its employees, customers and communities. And don't forget to check out our cover story on Bergey's for more on the business' history and future.

This episode is brought to you by Element Pointe, an independent multi-family office and wealth management firm dedicated to guiding individuals and their families through important financial, investment, lifestyle, and interpersonal matters—in turn, helping clients build a secure future and enduring legacy.

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In the latest episode of the Family Business/Business Family podcast, Brandi Harleaux, second-generation CEO of South Post Oak Recycling Center in Houston, Texas, discusses her journey from Disney executive to CEO of her family’s recycling business — or, as she likes to say, “from pixie dust to real dust.”

We also sit down with Ashley Weinaug, director of marketing for Wekiva Island in Longwood, Florida. A few episodes back, we spoke with Ashley’s dad, Bill, the founder of Wekiva Island, about his decidedly laid-back attitude toward succession planning and preserving his legacy. In this interview, Ashley gives her perspective on one day succeeding her father in running the environmentally friendly island resort alongside her brother and several other family members.

In addition, Family Business Magazine Contributing Editor Dennis Jaffe joins the podcast to explain how family councils can prevent stagnation and embrace a cycle of renewal. For more on this topic, check out Dennis' latest column.

Interested in being a guest or have a topic you’d like to hear us discuss? Contact host Zack Needles, editor-in-chief of Family Business Magazine, at: [email protected].

Don’t miss an episode! Follow Family Business/Business Family on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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In this episode, we sit down with Torri Hawley, a wealth education expert and seventh-generation member of the Vollrath Company, and Peter Begalla, conference chair at MLR Media and founder of JPB Consulting Group. Together, they discuss how family businesses can better solicit honest, actionable feedback from their shareholders. (For more from Hawley and Begalla on this topic, check out their recent article on gauging shareholder sentiment).

Also, Christina Sorbara, vice president of corporate knowledge and lead of human resources and corporate responsibility for the Sorbara Group of Companies in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, talks about the challenge of keeping shareholders educated, engaged and informed as the company and family continue to grow.

And in part 2 of our conversation with Mayumi Allison, CEO and second generation owner of audio-visual equipment maker Hosa Technology Inc., she tells us what surprised her after taking the helm of the business her father founded.

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In this episode of the Family Business/Business Family podcast, Bill Weinaug, president of Wekiva Island — a family-owned, environmentally friendly vacation destination in Longwood, Florida — talks about the resort’s beginnings and why leaving a sustainable legacy requires learning to let go.

Also, Joanna Bergey Shisler, dealer principal at Bergey’s — a 5th-generation, family-owned auto, truck and tire company with locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland — discusses the importance of communication and forgiveness in family business.

And the third- and fourth-generation leaders of Accurate Box Company — G3 President and CEO Lisa Hirsh; her husband, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mark Schlossman; and their daughter, Director of Sales and Marketing Samara Ronkowitz — discuss the importance of culture on the longevity and growth of their family business.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re talking about the challenges and emotions surrounding generational transitions. Mike Crotty, fourth-generation president of one of America’s oldest family-owned and -operated uniform rental and facility services companies, Spirit Services, recounts taking over the company and making the difficult decision to fire his grandfather. Duane Bergey, the chief relationship officer of Bergey’s Family Corporation, discusses the career move that caused a temporary rift between he and his dad, and how they mended their relationship over regular — and occasionally awkward — lunches. And Karla Trotman, president & CEO of Electro Soft Incorporated and author of the new book, Dark, Dirty, Dangerous: Building the Vibrant Future of Manufacturing, offers some advice for NextGen leaders who are seeking to make major changes to their family businesses.

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We're fresh off our Transitions Fall 2024 conference and talking — you guessed it — generational transitions. In this episode, Accurate Box Company G3 President and CEO Lisa Hirsh; her husband, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mark Schlossman; and their daughter, Director of Sales and Marketing Samara Ronkowitz, discuss how the company is planning for the transition to G4. Also, Meganne Wecker, the 3G president and chief creative officer of Chicago-based Skyline Furniture and founder of its sister brand Cloth & Company, explains how her father fostered entrepreneurship and innovation as he handed the reins to her. And Deloitte Private US Family Enterprise Leader Laura Pearson discusses the findings of a recent survey that shed light on the generational divide in many family businesses.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.