“I’ve seen it happen far too often where people have a son or daughter come in and they’re not capable or don’t care, and what you need to run a business is ability and desire.”
Jim Pohlad
april 2010 // interviewed
by elizabeth Millard
Jim Pohlad is executive
vice president of the
Pohlad Companies.
Transitioning from Carl:
i think the impact was more
personal than it was in any
business sense. i haven’t seen
much of a change, and that’s
due in large part to the way
our father brought us into
the business and encouraged
us to keep increasing our
roles throughout the years.
Communication: we have
both casual and monthly
meetings, and because we
all office together, there’s
an awful lot of day-to-day
contact. communication
truly is key in any business,
and it’s particularly important
in a family business.
photoS by MarShall franklin lonG
Don’t take it for granted:
don’t assume that as a family
you’re not vulnerable to
the same kind of pressures
that have torn other families
apart. if you have that
attitude, you’re in danger of
taking too much for granted.
« Stanley S.
hubbard on
the set of 5
eyewitness
news.
Transitioning to the next
Pohlad generation: i believe
that we’ll likely use the
same approach our father
did. he kept us involved
in a lot of areas right from
the beginning. i worked in
the business from 30. So
when it came time to begin
transitioning, it wasn’t a
major change for people.
