A Family-Owned Business
 he McKee family started McKee Foods Corporation in 1934 when they bought a small, three-employee bakery in downtown Chattanooga. Their children became involved in the business at an early age, and eventually their two sons, Ellsworth and Jack, took leadership positions in the company. The sons, in turn, encouraged their children to begin work at the company while still in high school. Those who were interested in building a career at McKee Foods went on to broaden their experience in a variety of departments and roles, earned the appropriate degrees, and are now in  leadership positions at the company.
From their parents, the third generation learned the satisfaction of a job well done, the responsibility they have to the employees and their families to maintain stability for the long-term, and a commitment to continue to keep the business family-owned.
Family-owned businesses are more likely to succeed than any other kind of company. Here are some of the reasons:
Stability of leadership
When there’s little chance the company is going to be bought out by a conglomerate, employees can feel more secure in their jobs.
Consistency in ethics and values
If the founders were ethical people, ethics and values are passed to other generations as part of the family’s legacy. Publicly-traded businesses tend to value the bottom line. The family-owned business is more likely to value people.
Consistent culture
With little movement at the top of the organization, the culture tends to remain stable.
They’re not strangers, they’re real people
In a family-owned business, the owners are seen as real people. It’s easier for employees to feel loyal to someone they know.
Family members can multiply the CEO’s presence
The CEO is a busy person with a limited amount of time, but family members can represent the CEO in a way no non-family member can.
Family members are more likely to pull together in tough times
The course of a business rarely runs smoothly. In tough times, family members are more likely to hang in there and make sacrifices; non-family leadership is more likely to look for employment elsewhere.
Family members may be better agents for change
Since they know each other well, family members can be intuitive about other family members so they can make speedier decisions. They’re not as likely to speak cautiously around the CEO, and they’re not worried about their own image or their opinions having a negative effect on their career path.
Families have a higher sense of mission
Family-owned businesses tend to have higher ideals than do publicly-owned corporations. Owning a business is a tremendous responsibility, and the best family businesses feel responsible to their employees and to the community.
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