A succession case study

Three years ago, Malcolm Cooper Jr., second-generation owner of J.K. Adams Company, made a serious assessment of future leadership prospects at his Vermont-based company. Since 1944, the company, which designs and manufactures high-end wooden kitchenware, has been a valued employer and a significant contributor to the vitality of the southern Vermont region.

Cooper’s two sons had always been encouraged to pursue their own dreams, and neither of them had joined the family business. Although J.K. Adams had a talented staff, there was no internal candidate capable of leading the company. Cooper and his wife looked at both the business and their personal interests, and how they envisioned the next phase of their lives.

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