Did you know that less than 3% of family-owned businesses make it to the fourth generation? As a fourth-generation, family-owned business, Warwick Publishing are proud to say they’re part of that 3%. But now they’ve actually made it to the fifth as one of their newest employees, and the fifth generation in the Warwick family business is Alex Paschal.
But first, the family history.
Before we fully introduce you to Alex, first we’d like to give you a brief run-down on the family lineage.
First up is Lina Paschal. Lina purchased the company, which was a newspaper publisher (The Valley Chronicle), from her brother-in law, Albert Hall, in 1903. In 1926, Lina stepped down and her nephew, Paul Paschal, took over. It was under Paul’s leadership that the company started producing calendars with logos as a means of using the presses when not printing papers. It was also during this time, in 1926, when they officially became Warwick Publishing Company.
At the end of WWII, Don and John Paschal took the reins of the company. Between 1977 and 1999, Rob and Jim Paschal (Don’s sons) purchased the company. The original newspaper operation was sold in 1989, at which time the business focused fully on promotional products.
Which brings us nicely to the next generation, the fifth generation, Alex. And trust us when we say Alex worked hard to get to where he is with the family business.
Not just handed to him: what it took for Alex to prove his worth.
Alex graduated from the University of Dayton (Dayton, OH) with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Business Administration. He then continued on at Dayton to receive his master’s degree in Business Administration shortly thereafter.
During graduate school, Alex was part of a teaching team in the chemical engineering department. His major role was to help out with the senior capstone lab courses, with a specific focus on safety, proper experimental techniques, and analytical methods. As a minor role, Alex also helped students grapple technical skills in coding courses and financial skills in the senior capstone. Though this experience was not directly related to managing a business, Alex believes his experience gained from teaching safety education directly translates to maintaining safe working conditions in our plant and office.
His graduate capstone was an integrated project with a local Dayton-area business, in which he and his peers spent a semester acting as a consulting group that developed an action plan for the owner as the final deliverable. Of the project, Alex says, “It was both an incredible and intense experience that taught me how to strategically plan businesses for the future without it being distilled by a classroom setting.”
Professional development and learning the ropes.
Though Alex officially joined the team full-time in January of 2020, that wasn’t the first time he’d worked in the family business. Throughout college, he had been working part-time, learning the ropes in as many departments as he could, including HR, die-cutting and foil stamping, as well as operating the digital presses.
Throughout college, Alex attended various leadership seminars through the National Society of Leadership and Success, as well as a University of Dayton Entrepreneurial Summit called “Flyer Formation.”
Between January and June of 2020, he started and finished the PPAI online education, resulting in earning an MAS (Master Advertising Specialist) certification.
As Alex himself recognises, “Warwick has always been a constant in my life. Whether I was working part-time during summers or just stopping by to visit, there really hasn’t been much of a time where I haven’t been involved with the company. Being the only fifth generation member is certainly daunting, but I’m excited to finally get involved in my family’s business on a more permanent basis, especially during this crazy time we’re living through.”
And, of course, we can’t leave you without a word from co-owner—and Alex’s father— fourth generation family member Rob Paschal.
“Alex has a lot on his plate right now—especially given the current global environment,” says Rob, “but he has the drive, the initiative, and the passion to help us continue to grow this company.”
Find out more on their website here
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