Over the years we have gained plenty of insight into what makes family businesses successful and are often asked what family firms do in order to be sustainable across multiple generations. Essentially there are some common traits that can be identified, and of course, there needs to be a degree of luck along the way to ensure the business remains relevant and successfully addresses the challenges that they will have definitely encountered along the way. We have identified 12 pillars that reflect the general traits of successful family firms which are outlined below. The pillars are sequenced deliberately, from the most foundational (purpose and values) through the operational and relational, to the financial and cultural, and closing with the two that carry the most emotional weight: stories and legacy. The sequence tells its own story. Each pillar is genuinely distinct, there is no overlap or repetition between them, which means the twelve together form a complete picture rather than twelve variations on the same idea. The final pillar, "leave it better than they found it" is intentionally the shortest in description, because by that point in the list it needs no elaboration. It is the standard that everything else is in service of. 1 - They know what the business is for They have a clear, shared answer to the question of purpose, one that goes beyond profit to encompass the values, the obligations, and the vision that define the enterprise. Every major decision is tested against it. 2 - They hold the values constant while changing everything else Products, processes, business models, and technologies evolve with the times. The values, how the business treats people, what it stands for, where the line is, never move. That combination of adaptability and rootedness is the engine of longevity. 3 - They have the conversations others avoid Succession, performance, fairness, money, conflict can be difficult topics to address. The families that endure are those that bring the difficult conversations into the room rather than letting them fester and go unsaid. Honesty, practised consistently, is a form of structural resilience. 4 - They develop each generation to lead, not just to inherit Outside experience, genuine accountability, honest feedback, and a clearly defined development path are the conditions that produce next-generation leaders who have earned their authority rather than simply assumed it. 5 - They invest in governance before they need it Effective boards, functioning family councils, robust shareholders’ agreements, built in good times, when there is goodwill and space to think clearly. The families that wait for a crisis to force governance investment pay a far higher price for the same capability. 6 - They plan succession a decade before it is needed The succession that is planned early, with time to develop the successor, structure the ownership transfer, and prepare the organisation, is a fundamentally different event from the succession forced by a health crisis or a family conflict. Start earlier than feels necessary. 7 - They stay genuinely curious about what is changing Markets shift, technologies disrupt, and customer expectations evolve. The businesses that last are those that maintain a genuine openness to what is happening at the edges of their industry, not defensive insularity, but informed, active watchfulness. 8 - They treat people, all people, with genuine respect Employees, suppliers, customers, community members. The family businesses that last are known for it, not as a marketing position but as a lived practice, visible in the decisions made when treating people well was the more costly option. 9 - They remain genuinely connected to their communities The goodwill of a community, built over generations of honest dealing, fair employment, and genuine contribution, is a form of capital that appears on no balance sheet but provides real resilience when conditions change. It is earned slowly and lost quickly. 10 - They manage money with stewardship, not extraction Patient reinvestment over short-term extraction. Conservative leverage that preserves resilience. Dividend policies that are fair to all shareholders. Financial decisions made in the light of what the next generation will inherit, not just what the current generation can take. 11 - They know their stories and keep them alive The decisions that defined the business, the crises that were survived, the people who gave their working lives to the enterprise, these stories are the primary carriers of culture and values across generations. The businesses that tell them, retell them, and live up to them are the ones that last. 12 - They leave it better than they found it Not just financially but commercially stronger, culturally richer, relationally deeper, and more worthy of the community that depends on it. Each generation that meets this standard gives the next generation a platform that is genuinely worth building on. That is the dynasty.

Stuart Dantzic, Managing Director of Caribbean, welcomes the Climate Change Committee’s latest adaptation report, arguing that external shading and passive cooling must become central to the UK’s response to rising overheating risk. The Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest report, A Well-Adapted UK, should finally put to bed the outdated idea that overheating is only a matter of comfort. It is a national resilience issue, a public health issue and an energy issue all rolled into one. For years, the UK’s built environment has been designed around retaining heat, which made sense in cooler periods. But as the report clearly states, the climate we are living in today is not the one our homes, schools, hospitals and workplaces were originally built for. Hotter summers, more frequent heatwaves and prolonged periods of extreme temperatures are becoming the rule, not the exception. As temperatures continue to rise, reducing heat gain before it enters buildings must become a fundamental principle of building design. Just as we would not heat a home in winter without insulation, we should not cool one in summer without shading. The CCC’s findings reflect this reality and, importantly, acknowledge something our sector has long understood: the smartest and most effective way to cool buildings is to stop heat getting inside in the first place. External shading is vital for overheating adaptation and must now become a standard part of climate-resilient building design. The report’s support for passive cooling measures should therefore be strongly welcomed. One of the most striking conclusions is that external shading in hospitals can reduce temperatures by up to 4°C on peak heat days. That is not a marginal improvement; in healthcare settings, where vulnerable patients are already at risk from extreme heat, those reductions can have very real consequences for wellbeing and safety. There is much talk of air conditioning being the answer to climate change and undoubtedly it has a role in certain environments, such as hospitals, care settings and other high-risk buildings. But cooling buildings mechanically without first addressing solar gain is fundamentally the wrong approach and it cannot become the default answer to every overheating challenge. Passive cooling should be prioritised in all buildings, with active cooling introduced only during prolonged or intense heatwaves. This reflects the cooling hierarchy adopted within the London Plan and increasingly referenced by local authorities and industry guidance. Why? Because if we rely solely on mechanical cooling, we risk creating a cycle where rising temperatures drive higher energy demand, increased emissions and greater pressure on the grid. External shading must always come first because it lowers indoor temperatures before heat enters the building, significantly reducing any later requirement for mechanical cooling. That is a far more sustainable, cost-effective and resilient route. BBSA research, previously cited by the CCC and referenced within the Government’s Warm Homes Plan, found that external shading can reduce indoor operative temperatures (the temperature we feel) by up to 18°C. By preventing heat build-up at source, external shading can significantly reduce reliance on air conditioning, lowering energy demand, cutting carbon emissions and, in many applications, eliminating the need for mechanical cooling altogether when combined with ventilation and thermal mass. This is becoming increasingly important as modern architecture continues to favour larger areas of glazing, sliding doors and open-plan living. While these designs maximise daylight and connect interiors with outdoor spaces, they also increase overheating risk dramatically if solar control is not properly considered. Flexibility is also key because solar conditions constantly change throughout the day and across seasons, which is why adjustable, dynamic shading solutions are essential. This is not new technology. Solar shading has been used for centuries in architecture designed for warmer climates and has long formed part of prestigious buildings and major public architecture, including Buckingham Palace. Yet despite rising temperatures and increasingly frequent heatwaves, it remains significantly underutilised across the UK built environment. The CCC is right to highlight that most of the homes standing in 2050 have already been built, which means adaptation is now immediate. Retrofitting existing buildings with effective passive cooling measures will be essential if we are serious about creating climate-resilient communities. Lord Krebs, former Chair of the CCC Adaptation Sub-Committee, previously stated: “We are not designing buildings for preventing overheating. Shading – shutters or awnings – is not costly or difficult to install, it’s just that we’re not doing it.” What is particularly encouraging is that the conversation is finally shifting. Overheating is no longer being treated as an occasional inconvenience during a hot spell. Instead, it is now recognised as a long-term infrastructure challenge requiring strategic action. The CCC’s report is an important step forward because it recognises that resilience starts with smarter design, not more energy consumption. External shading may once have been viewed as an optional add-on, but that position is no longer tenable in a warming climate. Today, it must be seen as essential climate adaptation infrastructure and a fundamental part of how we design, retrofit and futureproof buildings across the UK. For more information on Caribbean and its range of shading products visit here.

As Dina Foods marked its 30th anniversary in 2022, the London-based family business stands as a quietly formidable presence in the world of Mediterranean food manufacturing. Specialising in authentic, products ranging from artisan flatbreads and savouries to handmade confectionery, the company has grown from humble restaurant beginnings into a multinational supplier with a reputation built on craftsmanship, consistency and care. Operating from state-of-the-art facilities in Park Royal, North-West London, Dina Foods produces at scale while maintaining a strong commitment to traditional methods and quality. Its manufacturing sites are regularly audited to the highest international standards, including BRC, IFS and independent third-party certifications. The business also holds top-tier accreditations such as BRC AA+, IFS Higher Level and Sedex registration, reflecting a sustained focus on food safety, ethical sourcing and operational excellence. Today, the company is run by the Haddad family, with brothers Suheil, Fadi and Samir at the helm. Together, they have steered Dina Foods into becoming a leading supplier across the UK and international markets, serving restaurants, retailers, airlines, wholesalers and cafés across Europe and beyond. Alongside this growth, they have also built a strong and dedicated team that supports and shares in the company’s vision and success. Yet the origins of the business remain firmly rooted in hospitality. Speaking to founder and managing director Suheil Haddad, it becomes clear that Dina Foods is an evolution of a much longer culinary journey. The family arrived in the UK in the 1970s, bringing with them a deep passion for Lebanese cuisine and hospitality. By the time they opened Fakhreldine in London’s Mayfair, it had quickly established itself as one of the capital’s destination restaurants, renowned for its generous welcome and authentic food. “At Fakhreldine, the idea was that guests would be greeted with warm, freshly baked Lebanese bread straight from the oven,” Haddad recalls. “It was served with olives, salads and mezza, and people would often ask where they could buy the bread to take home. That question stayed with us.” The success of Fakhreldine, followed by other ventures including Lucullus in Knightsbridge, Noura and Adonis in Fitzrovia, revealed a clear demand beyond the restaurant table. When Fakhreldine was sold in 1990, the family made a decisive shift. In 1992, Dina Foods was born, originally as a bakery dedicated to bringing authentic Middle Eastern flavours into homes and businesses across the UK. The transition from restaurateurs to manufacturers was not without its challenges. “It was a steep learning curve,” Haddad explains. “We had to understand production, scale, logistics and quality control in a completely different way. But the foundation was always the same: authenticity and trust.” From those early days producing traditional Lebanese flatbreads such as Khobez, the business has expanded significantly. Today, Dina Foods produces a wide portfolio including its trademarked Paninette® flatbreads, baklawa, falafel and a range of savoury products. Its reach now extends across 18 European countries, with products supplied into multiple foodservice and retail channels. Despite this growth, Dina Foods remains unmistakably a family enterprise. Suheil works alongside his brothers, with Fadi serving as manufacturing director and Samir overseeing engineering. Supported by an expanded team whose expertise and commitment play a vital role in the company’s continued success, the business benefits from a strong foundation beyond the family itself. The next generation is also beginning to take on roles within the business, continuing a legacy shaped by close-knit collaboration. Family continuity, however, is only one part of the company’s identity. Equally central is a long-standing culture of reliability and resilience, upheld today by a large and dedicated team across the business. “Our reputation was built on quality and service from the very beginning,” Haddad says. “Customers trust the family name, and that trust is something we work hard to maintain every day.” That sense of responsibility extends to the company’s workforce, many of whom have been with Dina Foods for decades. With around 160 employees across its Park Royal sites, the business places strong emphasis on training, stability and long-term development. Even during the pandemic, the company avoided redundancies, prioritising continuity and support for its staff. Life within a family-run food manufacturing business is demanding. Production runs around the clock, seven days a week, and operational issues can arise at any time. Yet this intensity is balanced by a sense of shared purpose. “Everyone understands their role,” Haddad notes. “If there is a problem, we deal with it together. That is the nature of a family business.” Looking ahead, Dina Foods continues to build on its dual identity as both heritage-driven and forward-looking. Its products combine traditional recipes with modern manufacturing capability, allowing the business to respond quickly to changing consumer tastes while remaining rooted in authenticity. For the Haddad family, the journey from a single restaurant kitchen in Mayfair to an international food business remains a source of pride. Yet the guiding principles remain unchanged: quality, integrity and a deep respect for the food traditions that started it all. As Haddad reflects, the essence of Dina Foods can be distilled into three words: innovation, authenticity and quality.

There is something quietly remarkable about a family business that has been trading for a hundred years or more. Not because longevity is an achievement in itself — plenty of businesses persist without thriving — but because surviving a century means having navigated, successfully, a set of challenges that would have broken most organisations. Two world wars. The Great Depression. The collapse of industries and the rise of new ones. Technological revolutions that rewrote the rules of entire sectors overnight. Economic crises, political upheaval, generational change, and the thousand smaller disruptions that accumulate across a hundred years of trading. The businesses that came through all of that did not do so by accident. They did so because of something in their DNA — a set of characteristics, habits, and instincts that proved, again and again, to be more durable than the circumstances they faced. Those characteristics are not historical curiosities. They are directly relevant to the challenges facing family businesses today. And understanding them — really understanding them, not just as abstract principles but as practical disciplines that can be applied in the present — may be one of the most useful things any family business leader can do right now. The Long View As Competitive Advantage The first and perhaps most fundamental characteristic shared by family businesses that endure across generations is a genuinely long-term orientation. Not the kind that gets mentioned in mission statements and promptly forgotten when a short-term pressure arrives, but a deep, structural commitment to the future that shapes decisions at every level of the business. This shows up in the way century-old family firms approach investment. They are willing to accept lower returns in the short term in exchange for a stronger position over time. They reinvest in the business consistently, even in difficult years, because they understand that the alternative — extracting value at the expense of capability — is a form of slow disinvestment that compounds in ways that are not immediately visible but are eventually irreversible. It shows up in the way they approach relationships. With customers, with suppliers, with the communities in which they operate. These are not transactional relationships managed quarter by quarter. They are investments in trust, built over years and sometimes decades, that provide a kind of stability and loyalty that no marketing budget can replicate. When times are hard, those relationships hold. They are, in a very real sense, part of the balance sheet — even if they never appear on it. And it shows up in the way they approach risk. Not recklessly, and not with the paralysing caution that masquerades as prudence, but with a clear-eyed willingness to take considered bets on the future while maintaining the financial resilience to absorb setbacks without being undone by them. The businesses that last a hundred years are not those that never made a wrong call. They are those that were never so exposed by a wrong call that they could not recover from it. Adaptation Without Abandonment A second characteristic is the ability to adapt — to change what needs to change while holding firm to what must not. This sounds straightforward. In practice, it is one of the most genuinely difficult things any organisation can do, and family businesses face a particular version of the challenge because the things that must not change are so deeply personal. The family businesses that have survived a century are not the ones that looked the same at the end of it as they did at the beginning. They are the ones that evolved — sometimes radically, sometimes repeatedly — in response to changes in their market, their technology, and their competitive environment. What remained constant was not the product, or the business model, or even the industry in many cases. What remained constant was the values, the purpose, and the commitment to the people and communities the business served. This distinction matters enormously for family businesses navigating change today. The question is not whether to adapt — the evidence of a hundred years suggests that adaptation is not optional — but what is genuinely non-negotiable and what is simply familiar. Confusing the two is one of the most common and costly mistakes a family business can make. Treating a business model as a value, or a product as a purpose, ties the business to a form that the world may no longer need, rather than to a commitment that the world will always value. Stewardship Over Ownership A third characteristic, visible in family businesses with the deepest roots, is a particular orientation towards ownership — one that thinks less in terms of what the business can provide to the current generation and more in terms of what the current generation owes to the next. This is the stewardship mindset, and it changes everything about how decisions get made. The steward-owner does not ask only what is best for the business today. They ask what is best for the business in twenty years — and they are willing to accept personal sacrifice in the present in service of that longer horizon. They invest in people, in infrastructure, in capability, even when the return on that investment will not be visible on their watch. They resist the temptation to extract more than the business can comfortably afford, understanding that the wealth of a family business is not just in its current cash flow but in its capacity to generate value across generations. This mindset also shapes how century-old family firms think about their responsibilities beyond the purely commercial. The businesses that have survived longest tend to have deep roots in their communities — not as a marketing strategy, but as a genuine expression of the belief that the business exists in relationship with the world around it, and that the health of one is bound up with the health of the other. That sense of mutual obligation is not just ethically admirable. It is strategically sound. The businesses most embedded in their communities tend to be the ones with the strongest reputations, the most loyal customers, and the deepest reserves of goodwill to draw on when things get hard. Family Unity As A Strategic Asset A fourth characteristic is the ability to maintain family unity across generations — not by avoiding disagreement, but by building the structures and the habits that allow disagreement to be navigated without becoming destructive. The family businesses that fall apart rarely do so because of external pressure alone. They fall apart because the external pressure finds an internal fault line — a succession dispute, a governance vacuum, a breakdown in communication between branches of the family — and exploits it. The businesses that endure have typically invested heavily in the relational infrastructure that keeps the family aligned. Family constitutions that articulate shared values and agreed ways of making decisions. Governance structures that provide accountability and independence without undermining family authority. Regular, honest communication that keeps the family connected to the business and connected to each other, even as individual members pursue their own lives and careers. This is not glamorous work. It does not generate headlines or feature in award entries. But it is, arguably, the most important work any multigenerational family business can do — because without it, everything else is built on foundations that may not hold when the pressure comes. What The Long-Lived Know That Others Do Not The century-old family businesses that continue to trade today have something that cannot be manufactured quickly or purchased at any price: proof. Proof that their values hold under pressure. Proof that their model can survive disruption. Proof that their family can navigate the challenges that come with passing a business from one generation to the next — and the one after that. That proof is not just a source of pride. It is a source of confidence, for the family, for their people, and for everyone who does business with them. But the lessons they embody are not the exclusive property of those who have already been trading for a century. They are available to any family business willing to learn from them — to adopt the long view, to adapt without abandoning what matters, to think as stewards rather than owners, and to invest in the family unity that makes everything else possible. The businesses being built today that will still be trading in a hundred years are not defined by their sector, their size, or their starting point. They are defined by the choices being made right now — about values, about governance, about how the family relates to the business and to each other. The century-old firms did not know, when they started, that they would last. They simply made the choices, year after year, that made lasting possible. That is the lesson. And it is as relevant today as it has ever been.

There is a fresh, friendly face on the Cromer high street this week. Crabpot Cottages, a family-run holiday letting agency, has officially opened the doors to its brand-new office at 8 Hamilton Road in Cromer. The move marks a big new chapter for the business. Driven by steady growth and a desire to be right in the middle of the local community, the family has relocated from their previous base in Sheringham to this vibrant, much busier spot in the heart of Cromer. At a time when the holiday rental industry is increasingly dominated by giant corporate algorithms and automated call centres, Crabpot Cottages is keeping things completely personal. Run by Penny and Mike Jones, alongside Penny’s children, Tom and Lucy, and team member Chloe, it is a proper family affair. When you call or walk through the door, you do not get a corporate script. Instead, you get a genuine chat with a close-knit team who know every single cottage inside out, right down to which local pub serves the best Sunday roast. The new Cromer office reflects just how much the business has blossomed over the last decade. Yet, despite their growth and even winning a Small Business Sunday award from retail tycoon Theo Paphitis, their core family values have stayed exactly the same. They still handpick and personally look after every property in their collection like it was their own home. For the team, moving to Cromer, famous for its iconic pier, community spirit, and great local seafood, feels like the perfect fit for the next step of their journey. Penny Jones, Co-Founder of Crabpot Cottages, said: “Moving the office from Sheringham was a huge milestone for us, but stepping into 8 Hamilton Road just feels right. This bustling new location is a real testament to how much our business has grown, thanks to the wonderful property owners and guests who have trusted our family over the years." "We work side side every day with honesty, care, and a lot of heart. The kettle is always on, and we cannot wait to welcome both old friends and new neighbours into our new Cromer home.” Whether you are a property owner looking for a management team that will actually care for your home, or a family searching for the perfect dog-friendly coastal getaway, Penny, Mike, Tom, Lucy, and Chloe invite you to pop into the new office for a chat and a cup of tea.

A 110-strong display ‘slab wall’ has become the major attraction of Solus Ceramics’ new showroom transformation at its headquarters in Tyseley. The family-run business, which is recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing suppliers of architectural and sustainable tiles, has seen footfall almost double since it invested seven figures into creating the new 3,400 sq ft space earlier this year. Sales to the public have already risen by 25% and the firm has also increased its share of the local contractors’ market, as well as reinforcing its industry-leading reputation with some of the country’s top architects. The new HQ and showroom displays a carefully curated product range that blends exceptional quality with accessibility across all budgets. Materials are grouped by aesthetic family rather than brand - for example marble, stone, terracotta, wood, concrete and decorative collections. Alongside the iconic slab wall are units with clapper and drawer displays, with room sets further clarifying how different products might look in a variety of contexts. Marcus Bentley, CEO of Solus Ceramics, commented: “Visitors can expect a design-led experience shaped to provide inspiration, rather than a traditional tile showroom." “A lot of time and understanding has gone into the space, which has been carefully curated to help customers move beyond browsing samples and instead fully visualise how materials will work in real environments." “We have more than 30 years’ experience working with architects and designers, providing technical and design advice. This showroom enables us to bring this experience to a more general homeowner audience with the same level of care and service that we deliver across the country.” He continued: “The investment is definitely paying off and this is reflected not only in the volume of customers, but the mix of them. We’re attracting homeowners from the Midlands, along with developers, corporate clients, and luxury residential clients. Lots of architects and designers have also visited the space.” Solus, which was founded by Peter Bentley in the family home in 1995, has seen a £10m+ rise in revenues since 2021, with turnover expecting to exceed £26m going into 2027. The company’s commitment to ‘people’, ‘product’ and ‘planet’ has seen it develop an international network of trusted suppliers that provide unique ranges of sustainable tiles for architects, designers, commercial contracts and retail. With strong growth seen across its satellite showrooms in London and Manchester, the company continues to work on some of the UK’s most prestigious tiling projects, including for Porsche, Kensington Olympia and Finsbury Dials. Marcus went on to add: “For the luxury residential team in particular, it’s had a tangible impact. Developer clients feel confident directing their own customers to the showroom, knowing they’ll find a wide range of inspiring displays alongside a knowledgeable team who can support decision-making and provide technical advice. That trust is a key step in strengthening ongoing partnerships. “What we have created fully reflects Solus as a design-led business, offering the same level of service and expertise as our other successful showrooms in Clerkenwell in London and Manchester.” Solus, which has supplied over 4 million sq metres of tiles since 2019, has built its success on strategic partnerships with leading factories and collaborations with top architects, designers and developers. Its current portfolio of high-quality tiles spans more than 300 different ranges, including LoopCrete and LoopStone (both incorporating 63% of pre- and post-consumer recycled content) and its recently launched Caldera, Tibero, Damier and Sidequest options. For further information, please visit here or follow the company across its social media channels. Photo: Ryan and Marcus (Solus): (l-r) Ryan Bennett (Managing Director) with CEO Marcus Bentley

It is tempting to think about legacy in purely philosophical terms — as something that unfolds over time through the natural accumulation of good decisions and strong values. And there is truth in that. But legacy does not simply happen to family businesses. The ones that endure, the ones that are genuinely still recognisable three or four generations on as the businesses their founders built, have almost always made deliberate choices about how to structure, protect, and transmit what matters most. If you want to build a legacy that lasts, it helps to be intentional about it. Document The Story Before It Is Lost One of the most underestimated risks to family business legacy is the simple passage of time. The founders who carry the original vision in their heads, who know why certain decisions were made, who embody the values in the way they walk through the business every day — they will not always be there. And when they are gone, a great deal of institutional knowledge and cultural memory goes with them, unless someone has made the effort to capture it. This does not need to be elaborate. It can be as simple as recorded conversations, a written history of the business, or a set of family stories collected and shared across generations. What matters is that it is done while it can be — while the people who were there are still able to tell it. The families that have neglected this work often find, a generation later, that they are building on foundations they no longer fully understand. Create Governance That Reflects Your Values Good governance is not just a business necessity. In a family firm, it is also one of the most powerful ways of embedding and protecting the values that the family wants to carry forward. A family constitution that articulates what the business stands for, how decisions will be made, and how family members can engage with the business provides a framework that outlasts any individual leader. This does not mean governance needs to be rigid or corporate in feel. The best family constitutions are documents that feel like the family — alive to their particular history, their particular way of doing things, their particular version of what fairness and commitment look like. They are not imposed from outside. They are written from within, with every generation that will be affected by them having a voice in shaping them. Invest In The Next Generation Before You Need Them One of the most common mistakes in succession planning is leaving it too late. The conversation about who will lead the business next, and how they will be prepared for it, should not begin when the current leader is ready to step back. It should begin years, ideally decades, earlier — with deliberate investment in the development of the people who will one day carry the business forward. This means giving next-generation family members meaningful experience, inside and outside the business. It means creating development opportunities that are genuinely stretching, not just titular roles that carry responsibility without real authority. It means being willing to have honest conversations about capability and fit, however uncomfortable those conversations might be. Stay Connected To Your Community The family businesses that endure longest are rarely those that have been most focused on their own interests. They are the ones that have remained genuinely embedded in their communities — as employers, as contributors, as organisations that people trust because the family behind them has earned that trust over time. This is not just good ethics, though it is that too. It is a source of resilience. Businesses that are genuinely woven into the fabric of a community have stakeholders who will go the extra mile when things are difficult. They have a reputation that competitors with deeper pockets cannot simply buy. They have, in the truest sense, a reason to exist that goes beyond profit. Measure What You Want To Protect Finally, if legacy matters to your family, find a way to measure it. Not just the financial performance — though that matters too — but the things that tell you whether the business is still the business you want it to be. Employee tenure and satisfaction. Community impact. The degree to which the values you have articulated are visibly alive in the way the business operates day to day. The families that take legacy seriously enough to measure it are the ones who find, a generation later, that they have actually managed to protect it. Not perfectly — nothing in business ever is — but recognisably, meaningfully, in ways that the people who built it would be proud to see. Legacy is not an accident. It is a choice, made over and over again, in the decisions that matter and the ones that seem small. The family businesses that understand that are the ones that will still be standing a hundred years from now.

There is a particular breed of British manufacturer that combines deep industrial knowledge with the stubborn persistence of a family enterprise. Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd, based in Droitwich in the heart of the West Midlands, is a fine example of that tradition. Over the course of more than a quarter of a century, it has grown from a specialist vacuum forming operation into one of the UK's most respected thermoforming companies, producing large-format plastic components for customers across agriculture, construction, automotive, leisure and beyond. It is a story rooted in the ingenuity of one man, carried forward by the ambition of his daughter, and pointed squarely at the future. The Founder: A Life Dedicated to Plastics To understand Big Bear, you must first understand Gerald Bloom. Recognised by Interplas UK among its prestigious 75@75 list of plastics industry champions, compiled to mark the 75th anniversary of the show, Bloom is a figure who has shaped British plastic moulding over several decades. As Interplas noted in the citation, he dedicated his life to the industry, bringing new technologies and manufacturing processes to the UK across an entirely self-made career. His commitment to the craft was so hands-on in the early days that he built his first moulding machines himself. Before Big Bear, Gerald founded and developed Midland Industrial Plastics Ltd (MIP), a company that became a major Tier 1 supplier of automotive interior trim parts, pioneering a wide range of advanced plastic moulding technologies that were ahead of their time in the UK market. MIP grew to employ around 1,000 people across a variety of manufacturing sites and joint ventures, a remarkable achievement for a business built from scratch. The company was ultimately acquired by Textron Inc., one of the leading US industrial manufacturers, a testament to the calibre and scale of what Gerald had built. Rather than retire on his achievements, Gerald returned to his roots. In 1998, drawing on the technical expertise he had accumulated across a lifetime in the industry and supported by engineering colleagues from his days at MIP, he founded Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd. Building Big Bear: The Early Years The company was established with a clear purpose: to apply the highest manufacturing standards to the vacuum forming and trimming of plastic parts. From its outset, Big Bear positioned itself as a technically capable business with serious industrial pedigree. The team Gerald assembled brought with it many years of experience in automotive plastics, giving the fledgling company a head start that a purely start-up operation would have taken years to earn. The business found its home in Droitwich, Worcestershire, a location that places it at the geographical heart of England and within easy reach of the motorway network, major rail stations and Birmingham International Airport. It is ideal territory for a manufacturer whose customers stretch across multiple industries nationwide. Over time, Big Bear invested in a purpose-built modern factory that now spans 75,000 square feet, housing state-of-the-art equipment and an experienced production team. The company holds both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation and has additional experience of the automotive quality standard IATF16949, reflecting the rigorous quality culture that Gerald Bloom instilled from the beginning. What Big Bear Makes Big Bear specialises in the production of large and complex plastic components using thermoforming technology, encompassing vacuum forming, twin-sheet forming, pressure forming and, more recently, compression moulding. These processes involve heating thermoplastic sheet material until it becomes pliable and then shaping it over or into a mould under vacuum or pressure to achieve precise forms, sometimes at considerable scale. The range of materials the company works with is broad, including ABS, PMMA-ABS, HDPE, HIPS, PC and PE, available in a variety of colours, finishes and thicknesses. Critically, Big Bear can produce moulded parts up to 3.5 metres by 2.5 metres, which places it among a relatively small number of UK manufacturers capable of handling truly large-format components. The products themselves are perhaps more familiar to the average person than might be imagined. Caravan bumpers, bodywork for agricultural and construction vehicles, components for garden ponds, interior parts for mobile homes, aeroplane seat elements and trims for leisure vehicles all fall within Big Bear's portfolio. The company offers a full-service solution, from initial design, development and tooling through to medium and high-volume moulded parts, meaning customers can bring a concept and receive a finished product from a single supplier. More recently, the company has expanded its capabilities to include waterjet cutting, a precision process well suited to the trimming of large or complex components, alongside CNC machining. A Different Kind of Succession In many family businesses, the transfer of leadership from founder to the next generation follows a familiar pattern. A son or daughter who grew up in and around the factory joins the business in their twenties, works their way through various departments and eventually assumes the top role. Emma Hockley's journey was rather different and is all the more interesting for it. Before she had anything to do with vacuum forming or thermoplastic polymers, Emma was building a career at Harrods, the famous Knightsbridge department store. She joined the PR department on a work experience placement and progressed through the organisation to become Buyer for Perfumery & Cosmetics, the largest buying division in the store. One of her notable achievements there was the creation of the Perfume Diaries, an exhibition charting the history of perfume that generated more than £2 million in press coverage, delivered significant sales results and was hailed as ‘the first significant perfume exhibition of recent times with international resonance’. It was a world of high-end luxury brands, glossy campaigns and affluent clientele, a considerable distance from the factory floor in Droitwich. She eventually joined Big Bear as part of the Sales team, bringing with her a sharp commercial instinct and an ability to tell a compelling story about a product. Over more than five years in that role, she worked alongside every part of the operation, from engineering and production to purchasing and finance, learning the business from the inside. In September 2020, as part of a company-wide restructure, she was appointed Managing Director. Emma has been candid about the challenge of making that transition. Moving from a senior position at one of the world's most famous retailers, to leading a manufacturer in a technical sector she had not grown up in, required her to rebuild her professional confidence from the ground up. She has spoken of questioning the status quo and refusing to accept that things were done a certain way simply because that was how they had always been done. That determination and fresh perspective, it turns out, have proven to be considerable assets. The appointment was also a deliberate act of succession planning. As Emma has noted, her becoming Managing Director allowed Big Bear to establish a strong succession plan and map a genuine long-term future for the business. Gerald remains involved as Owner and Chairman, ensuring that the deep technical knowledge and industry relationships he has spent a lifetime building remain available to the company, while Emma shapes its commercial direction and growth strategy. Five Years at the Helm and a £2 Million Investment By the time Emma marked five years as Managing Director in early 2026, Big Bear had been through a period of significant investment and transformation. The company completed a £2 million capital investment programme, installing two CNC machines, a new industrial robot and a waterjet cutter. Alongside the new hardware, Big Bear implemented a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, developed with support from WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) and Made Smarter, designed to integrate operations more efficiently and support new product introductions without disrupting service to existing customers. The next planned step in the company's digital evolution is exploring the practical application of artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and support employees. Emma has also brought a distinctive focus on internal communications, understanding that a cohesive team with clarity about the company's direction performs better than one left in the dark. She launched a monthly company newsletter and introduced quarterly business updates for the entire staff, ensuring that every employee understands how their contribution fits into the wider picture. The workforce currently stands at between 80 and 100 people; a team of engineers, production specialists and support staff many of whom carry automotive manufacturing experience from earlier careers. Emma has been recognised externally as well, having been inducted into the Great 100 campaign by the Made Group, a programme that celebrates the most influential individuals in UK manufacturing. The Road Ahead Big Bear's ambitions for the coming years are clearly stated. Emma believes the business can achieve and sustain annual sales of more than £10 million by 2027, building on a steady growth trajectory and a strong order pipeline. To get there, the company is targeting sectors that complement its existing strengths while opening new doors. Point-of-sale retail represents one significant opportunity, where Big Bear's capability to produce large, high-quality formed components at volume could serve display and retail fixture manufacturers. Defence is another target market, with the company working towards joining the JOSCAR register, a collaborative platform used by suppliers to the UK aerospace, defence and security sectors. Big Bear already holds ISO 9001 accreditation and has recently achieved ISO 14001, the environmental management standard, both of which will support its progression into more regulated markets. Consolidation in the broader plastics sector is also creating space for well-run, technically capable independent manufacturers. As larger players have merged or withdrawn from certain markets, gaps have appeared that a business with Big Bear's combination of skills, equipment and service ethic is well placed to fill. Emma has spoken of overcoming some of the industry's persistent pain points, including speed of response, material innovation and the achievement of world-class quality at both lower and higher volumes. The company is also paying attention to sustainability and material innovation, areas where customer and regulatory expectations are rising steadily. As the industry navigates wider shifts around the use of recycled and bio-based thermoplastics, Big Bear's engineering capability will be central to its ability to adapt and lead. A Business Built to Last Big Bear Plastics is in many respects an embodiment of the West Midlands manufacturing tradition: technically grounded, quietly ambitious and built on hard-won expertise rather than flash or fanfare. Gerald Bloom built Midland Industrial Plastics into a thousand-person business from scratch, pioneered manufacturing processes that advanced the UK plastics industry and then started again to build something new and lasting. What he created in 1998 has, in the hands of his daughter, evolved into a confident, modern manufacturer with its sights firmly set on the next phase of growth. Emma’s story is one of the more unusual in British manufacturing, a woman who arrived from the world of luxury retail with no engineering background, learnt an industry, built a team, made significant investments in technology and emerged with a clear strategy and the credibility to carry it out. The transition between generations at Big Bear has not been without its challenges, but it has produced a business that combines the founder's technical heritage with a fresh commercial energy. For a company that has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, there is a pleasing sense of just getting started and we look forward to seeing the next stages in the journey with Emma at the helm.

If you ask most family business leaders whether succession planning is important, the answer is almost always yes. Ask them whether they have a plan in place, and the response becomes considerably more hesitant. Ask them when they intend to start, or to revisit what exists, and the conversation tends to drift towards the horizon: when the time is right, when things settle down, when the next generation is ready, when they themselves feel ready. The gap between knowing that succession planning matters and actually doing it is one of the most consistent and consequential patterns in family business life. And it is a gap that costs businesses, and families, far more than most people appreciate until it is too late to do much about it. Why The Conversation Keeps Getting Deferred Understanding why succession planning gets avoided is not difficult. It requires confronting a set of questions that are, by their nature, uncomfortable. Questions about mortality, about relevance, about whether the people you love are capable of carrying what you have built. Questions about your own identity and what comes after a role that has defined you for decades. Questions about fairness between siblings, about the place of non-family managers, about what happens to the business if the plan does not work out as intended. These are not small questions, and they do not have easy answers. It is entirely understandable that busy leaders, facing the daily pressures of running a business in a demanding economic climate, find reasons to put them off. The problem is that deferral has a cost that is not immediately visible, and by the time it becomes visible, the options available have narrowed considerably. Succession planning is not a single conversation to be had at some future point when everything is in order. It is an ongoing process that, ideally, begins years, sometimes decades, before any transition actually takes place. The families who handle it well are not those who found it easy. They are those who started early enough that they had the time and space to get it right. The Difference Between A Plan And A Process One of the most common misconceptions about succession planning is that it is an event, a document to be drafted, signed, and filed, rather than a living process that evolves alongside the business and the family. A succession plan that was written five years ago and has not been revisited since is not a plan. It is a historical record of intentions that may no longer reflect the reality of the business, the readiness of the next generation, or the wishes of the family. Effective succession planning is iterative. It involves regular conversations, between the current generation and the next, between family members and their advisers, between the family and the board if one exists. It tracks the development of potential successors over time, identifying strengths, addressing gaps, and testing readiness through progressively greater responsibility. It revisits the governance structures of the business to ensure they are fit for purpose for the next phase of ownership and leadership. And it remains genuinely open to outcomes that were not anticipated at the outset, including the possibility that the best person to lead the business into its next chapter is not a family member at all. That last point is one that many families find genuinely difficult to sit with. But the businesses that are willing to ask the question honestly, and to make the decision based on what is right for the business rather than what is comfortable for the family, tend to be the ones that thrive across generations. Starting Earlier Than Feels Necessary The single most common piece of advice offered by families who have been through a successful succession is also the simplest: start earlier than you think you need to. Not because the transition is imminent, but because the process of preparing for it, developing the next generation, building the governance structures, having the family conversations that need to happen, takes far longer than most people anticipate. Developing a successor is not a matter of handing over a job description and a set of keys. It involves years of deliberate exposure to different parts of the business, to external experience that broadens perspective and builds credibility, to the kind of mentoring and coaching that transfers not just knowledge but judgement. It involves building the confidence of the individual being developed and the confidence of the wider organisation in their leadership. None of that happens quickly, and none of it happens without intention. Starting the process early also changes its emotional texture. When succession planning begins at a point of relative calm, when the current leader is healthy, engaged, and has no immediate plans to step back, it feels less like a confrontation with mortality and more like an investment in the future. The conversations are easier, the options are wider, and the decisions are made from a position of strength rather than urgency. The Role Of The Next Generation Succession planning is not something that happens to the next generation. It is something they need to be active participants in, and that participation needs to begin long before any formal transition is on the horizon. This means creating genuine opportunities for the next generation to contribute, to lead, and to be tested. Not token roles designed to keep them engaged, but real responsibilities with real accountability. It means being honest with them about the timeline and the criteria — what readiness looks like, what the business needs from its next leader, and how they are progressing against that picture. And it means listening to what they actually want, rather than assuming that because the business exists, the next generation's role within it is predetermined. Not every child of a family business founder wants to run the business. Some would rather own it than lead it. Some would prefer to pursue a different path entirely. A succession process that ignores these realities in favour of an assumed outcome creates resentment, installs reluctant leaders, and stores up problems that will surface eventually, one way or another. The families that handle this well create space for honest conversations about individual ambition and aspiration, and they build structures flexible enough to accommodate a range of outcomes. What Happens Without A Plan The consequences of inadequate succession planning are well documented, but they bear repeating, because the statistics tell a story that too many family businesses are still writing for themselves. Many family firms fail to successfully transfer to the third generation and beyond. The reasons are multiple and complex, but the absence of structured, timely succession planning is a thread that runs through a disproportionate number of those that do not make it. When a leader exits unexpectedly, through illness, death, or a relationship breakdown that forces the issue and without a plan in place, the consequences can be severe. The business faces a leadership vacuum at the moment it is least equipped to handle one. Family relationships, already under strain, are tested further by decisions that have to be made quickly and under pressure. External stakeholders including customers, suppliers, lenders lose confidence. The value built over a generation can erode with alarming speed. None of this is inevitable. All of it is avoidable, with the right preparation. The Best Time To Start There is a well-worn saying that the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, and the second best time is today. It applies to succession planning with particular force. If the process has not yet begun, the most useful response is not regret about the time already lost but a decision, made today, acted on this week, to begin. That beginning does not have to be grand or formal. It might be a conversation between the current leader and their most trusted adviser. It might be a family meeting that puts the question openly on the table for the first time. It might be the appointment of an independent board member whose brief includes supporting the succession process. What matters is not the scale of the first step but the fact of it, because the alternative, another deferral, another quarter in which the plan remains a future intention rather than a present reality, is a choice with consequences that will eventually have to be reckoned with. The businesses that thrive across generations do not leave succession to chance or to circumstance. They plan for it, invest in it, and treat it with the same seriousness and strategic intent that they bring to every other decision that determines the long-term future of what they have built. It is never too early to start. It is, however, possible to start too late.

Nottinghamshire drivers are now in pole position for electric driving after the all new Kia EV2 arrived at NK Motors in Chilwell for the first time. The highly anticipated EV2 made its local debut during a successful three-day First Drive Weekend from Thursday, May 21 to Saturday, May 23, with customers invited to get behind the wheel and experience Kia’s newest electric vehicle up close through exclusive walkarounds and personal test drives. As Kia’s most compact electric SUV to date, the EV2 has already generated major excitement thanks to its bold design, urban practicality and impressive technology. Designed specifically for modern city lifestyles, the EV2 combines compact dimensions with a surprisingly spacious cabin, flexible interior layout and up to 362 litres of boot space. Drivers visiting the launch were also introduced to the EV2’s advanced technology package, including Kia’s latest infotainment system, wireless smartphone charging, adaptive cruise control and advanced driver assistance systems. Premium models also feature Harman Kardon audio, flush door handles and Kia’s signature Star Map lighting design. The EV2 offers up to 281 miles of electric range depending on specification, while rapid charging capability allows the battery to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes, making it ideal for both everyday commuting and longer journeys. Customers can also benefit from a £1,500 Electric Car Grant, helping make the switch to electric driving even more accessible. Managing director at NK Motors, Sanj Kumar said: “The EV2 has really accelerated interest in electric driving across Nottinghamshire. Customers are looking for an EV that feels stylish, practical and achievable, and the EV2 delivers on every level.” He added: “There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the launch weekend, and the response has been incredibly positive. Once customers experienced the space, technology and performance for themselves, it was clear the EV2 is going to be a real game changer in the compact EV market.” The first edition EV2 is available now at NK Motors Chilwell, with additional models expected later this year. For more information, please visit here.

A Dorset funeral director is warning businesses and consumers about the growing problem of fake and misleading online reviews. Nick Douch, managing director of Douch Family Funeral Directors, which runs seven branches across Dorset, said dishonest reviews are harming reputable businesses and misleading people at their most vulnerable. The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into the practice after concerns that some companies are publishing fabricated or manipulated reviews to gain an unfair advantage. Nick said: “Most businesses are honest and reviews are from genuine customers, but there are some who are simply making them up. This is dishonest, it is potentially fraudulent and it disadvantages every business that plays by the rules." “In our sector this matters more than most. When someone is arranging a funeral they are going through one of the hardest times of their life. They need to know they can trust the business they are turning to." “Across our seven branches we have built up over a thousand genuine 5* reviews and we are proud of every one of them." “We fully support any investigations into the sharp practice of fake reviews and while the platforms hosting them do their best, it is can be difficult to weed out the fake reviews.” The CMA has issued guidance to help consumers identify fake reviews. It advises that people read the full review rather than simply looking at the star-rating. It also warns customers to be on their guard against AI-generated reviews and that if a review ‘feels a bit too slick, reads like it's been perfectly crafted’ it may not be real; ‘Trust your instincts,’ it adds. Douch Family Funeral Directors runs branches in Wimborne, Ferndown, Corfe Mullen, Parkstone, Blandford, Wareham and Swanage. It also runs an award-winning funeral plan. About the Douch Family Funeral Directors - have been helping families with funeral arrangements for over 100 years. Branches include Douch & Small, A E Jolliffe & Son, Albert Marsh, James Smith, Ives & Shand and Lesley Shand Funeral Service. They’re based in Wimborne, Ferndown, Wareham, Poole, Swanage, Blandford and Corfe Mullen.

The Manor House Golf Club’s position among Europe’s premier golf destinations has been recognised within a new industry ranking of the continent’s most luxurious venues. The Golf World 'Top 100 Luxe Resorts Europe', a new wish-list of resorts guaranteeing long-weekend luxury, ranked The Manor House in 27th place in Europe and within the top five resorts in the UK and Ireland. This is further proof that The Manor House is delivering Golf on another level. The Cotswolds venue forms part of Exclusive Collection, the collection of country house hotels, spas and golf destinations across the UK. In recent years, the group has invested heavily across its golf and hospitality offering, helping strengthen its appeal among travelling golfers from the UK, Europe and the United States. Alongside The Manor House, properties including Pennyhill Park and Royal Berkshire are positioned within easy reach of many of Surrey and Berkshire’s world-renowned golf courses, further enhancing Exclusive Collection’s growing reputation within the luxury golf travel market. The latest ranking reflects the increasing international profile of both The Manor House and the wider collection as destinations for golfers seeking championship golf combined with high-end hospitality and countryside experiences. At the heart of The Manor House experience is the championship course, designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark, stretching across 365 acres of rolling Cotswolds countryside, ready to sweep you off your feet in a true countryside retreat. Alongside the golf, guests enjoy luxury accommodation, Michelin-star dining in the Bybrook restaurant, and the exceptional hospitality that defines the Exclusive Collection brand. Just a short distance away, and part of the resort, The Castle Inn complements the whole experience with its relaxed, quintessentially English pub atmosphere, offering stylish boutique rooms and seasonal dining, making it an ideal extension for guests looking to explore more of the surrounding area. The panel described The Manor House as: “One of GB&I’s leading couples’ retreats, golfing or otherwise. A characterful, luxurious hotel with real attention to detail, as well as the Michelin-starred Bybrook.” The Manor House also holds GEO Certification® for sustainable golf operations. As part of Exclusive Collection, a certified B Corp, sustainability is embedded across the entire business, ensuring a holistic and responsible approach to operations. Environmental work across the estate includes biodiversity and habitat management, water conservation initiatives and low-impact course maintenance supported by a new fleet of Kress robotic mowers. Alongside its sustainability commitments, the club has continued to invest in course conditioning and long-term improvements, including an ongoing full bunker renovation programme designed to further enhance the playing experience and presentation of the championship course. Andrew Ryan, director of golf at The Manor House, said: "To be recognised among Europe's leading luxury golf resorts is a hugely proud moment for everyone involved with The Manor House. We've continued to invest in the golf course, the wider guest experience and the long-term future of the estate, so this recognition feels particularly rewarding." "What's especially pleasing is to see The Manor House ranked alongside and ahead of some of the biggest and most established resorts in European golf. It reflects the hard work of the entire team and reinforces the direction we're heading in as a destination."