Building a Family Business That Lasts for Generations
My father never discussed business at the dinner table.
Not once. Even during tight cash flows, delayed orders, or unfair customer pushback, he maintained that boundary. Years later, I recognized what a gift that was.
When I completed my studies and joined Fabrimech, it felt like an opportunity rather than a burden. Our family photo reflects a 60-year journey: two brothers as second-generation directors, three sons as third-generation entrepreneurs, all united in one company built across generations.
However, the photo doesn’t reveal the two principles that enabled this continuity:
1. Protect the dream at home.
Children absorb everything; the frustrated sighs, the “customers are impossible” remarks, the “I’m tired of this business” comments. By the time they can choose, they may have already made their decision unconsciously. Keep struggles in the boardroom and let them see the purpose, not just the pressure.
2. Build a workplace worth choosing.
When the next generation joins, they compare you to every other opportunity available. Provide what any top company would: professional growth, mentorship, respect for their ideas, and room to fail and learn. Loyalty isn’t guaranteed by legacy alone; it must be earned.
This photo symbolizes more than family; it embodies a promise to our customers: we are not building for the next quarter but for the next generation. That’s why we earn the trust of railways, MNCs, domestic and export customers. Partnerships that last decades require companies that think in decades.
To every family business owner reading this: your most effective succession plan isn’t paperwork; it’s the story your children tell themselves about your work. Make it a story worth continuing.
– Thomas K Varghese
