4 secrets of a highly successful family-owned business

folarin okunola

June 16, 2015 11:58 AM

Today, Jayco has more than 2,000 employees and sells more than 30,000 RVs (recreational vehicles) each year and although Bontrager died back in 1985 in a plane crash.

An RV in the American countryside.

In 1968, Lloyd Bontrager developed a prototype camping trailer and unique lifter system for fold-down campers. With 15 employees on staff, he manufactured and sold 132 campers that year and Jayco was born.

Today, Jayco has more than 2,000 employees and sells more than 30,000 RVs (recreational vehicles) each year and although Bontrager died back in 1985 in a plane crash, his family has continued to carry on his legacy 40 years on.

Current CEO, Derald Bontrager shares tips on the secrets to running a successful family-owned business.

Draw Lines.

How does the Bontrager family keep their sanity at cookouts and holiday parties when the big elephant in the room as far as conversation goes is always the business?

“Easy,” says Derald Bontrager. “We don’t talk about work when we are together as a family. The place to talk about business is at the office. When we are with family for family gatherings, that subject is off the table.”

Optional not required.

According to Derald, not all of the Bontrager family members are involved in the RV industry, and this is by design. He says that if any of their nieces, nephews, children or grandchildren are passionate about the business, then by all means they will find room for them. However, they have dreams that are bigger or different than Jayco, then they are encouraged to go pursue those interests instead.

Redefine what family means.

Derald says that one of the keys to the success of the Jayco legacy has been in how they define family. Derald and his brother, Wilbur, run the organization, and their mom, Bertha, still sits on the board. However, beyond blood relatives, they consider their employees (2,000 at Jayco plus another 1,000 at affiliated companies), their dealers and the customers to be family too.

Recognising talent and character.

Derald Bontrager says that Jayco has thrived as a family-run business for 47 years because his dad, Lloyd, was extremely good at surrounding himself with people of character and talent. He says that you need to find people who look beyond a policy and procedure manual in order to do what’s right for the company and for the customer.

When you find people like this and you put them in charge, your company can survive anything.

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