Keeping the family together: People & Companies

The opportunity to work for a successful family business can be rewarding, and lots of machine shops are great examples. Being in this industry has introduced me to a variety of family-owned operations that are impressive and even cool. What a country.

Such success also comes with challenges and disagreements when dealing with sensitive issues. Occasionally, relationships are tested. Family members share interests and ownership. These intertwined lives result in unique situations. For better or worse, company business impacts lives at home and work, and it’s not for everyone.

When issues occur among normal co-workers, they are not related, don’t live together and don’t have to see each other after work. But family is different, and staying together through thick and thin is a priority.

My family can relate to all this as we’ve been working together for years. First, it was my parents for a long time. Then, I came along in 1992, followed by my brothers in 2008. Our parents eventually retired but remain involved and help as needed. In all our working history together and throughout many ups and downs, the biggest test of the family work bond was encountered during our most recent downturn of 2015 to 2018. Several factors made this test more difficult, including a market downturn that was the worst in years and the fact that we were now all working at the family business and dependent on it for income. In previous years, it was only my parents, then later me as well. Until my brothers were with us, their incomes and livelihoods didn’t totally depend on the family shop. They were in school or had other jobs.