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Richard N. Seaman
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A Vibrant Vision: The Entrepreneurship of Multigenerational Family Business Hardcover – May 16, 2019

by Richard N. Seaman (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 18 ratings
Challenges to the entrepreneurial spirit are complex, particularly in a family business if the entrepreneur wants to have the business survive him/herself and successfully grow into future generations. This vision contrasts sharply with the lifestyle business or "harvest your business" mentality promoted by venture capital or private equity models.

To have a vision of growing a small family business into a sustainable multi-million dollar business requires distinctive processes that support innovation, human capital development, strategic planning, and quality assurance in manufacturing and service. Additional distinct processes must be created and implemented that support good governance and effective education and stewardship of future generations of family shareholders.

A Vibrant Vision shares the experiences of the author in his growing family business after his father passed away at a young age and building this industrial fabrics business into a multi-million company while at the same time encouraging his children and grandchildren to become stewards of this treasure we call a family business.
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  1. Print length
    188 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Seaman Corporation
  4. Publication date
    May 16, 2019
  5. ISBN-10
    1733895302
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1733895309
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Seaman Corporation
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 16, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 188 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1733895302
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1733895309
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

About the author

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Richard N. Seaman

Richard N. Seaman

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RICHARD SEAMAN is the Chairman of Seaman Corporation, where he served as CEO from 1976 to 2015. He assumed the leadership role of this family busi­ness in 1978 after his father passed away at the young age of 55. Under his leadership, Seaman Corporation, a manufacturer of industrial coated fabrics, grew from $10 million in annual sales to nearly $200 million in sales today.

Richard serves as a Trustee of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, whose mission is to support entrepreneur­ship and the free enterprise system. In 2012, he was asked by the Governor of the State of Ohio to serve as a Commissioner of the Ohio Third Frontier, a billion dollar initiative focused on creating an innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state. He is a member of the Young President's Organization, the Family Busi­ness Network-USA, and a Trustee on the board of the College of Wooster.

Richard was recognized as an Honored Life Member of his industry trade organization, the Industrial Fabrics Association International, and was selected as a Wall of Fame Honoree by the Wooster Area Chamber of Com­merce. In 2015, Richard was chosen by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year in the Family Business category.

Richard is an avid skier, sailor, photographer, and tennis player. Richard and his wife, Judy, live in Wooster, Ohio. They and the families of their three chil­dren are committed to being active owners and stewards of their family business enterprise.

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4.7 out of 5 stars
18 global ratings

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The Journey of and Guide to Building a Multigenerational Family Business
5 out of 5 stars
The Journey of and Guide to Building a Multigenerational Family Business
Richard Seaman's A Vibrant Vision is a fascinating story that provides the reader with two rich learning experiences. First, he details how his parent's vision of building a multigenerational business went from a basement operation with two sewing machines producing lace around the baby pants to a corporation producing industrial fabrics internationally. The author vividly paints how his parents established and stewarded a multigenerational company based on a foundation of family involvement, ongoing curiosity, creativity, innovation and persistence, and a strategic long term view. Secondly this picture can be an inspiration and a practical how to guide for those seeking to build an entrepreneurial enterprise to serve their families and their customers for the long term.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Alexander L Langhans
    5.0 out of 5 stars 2nd generation
    Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    As someone who is now taking over the family company as the second generation with my brother. This book could not have come at a better time. The past year I have been working on my vision of what the next 25 years could hold. Along the way we have bought a business that really made me think about stewardship. The owner being someone who had no heirs who wanted to be in the business. But he had built such a strong reputation in the community. So taking possession of his business felt very much like a responsibility to get it right and do our best.

    As I continue to learn, this book has given me a good foundation to start building towards a multi generational business. Which also the other books referenced in this book that I look forward to reading.
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  • Leslie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Useful resource for leaders stewarding a family business for multiple generations
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2020
    A Vibrant Vision shares the experiences of the author of growing a business started by his father and encouraging his children and grandchildren to become stewards of this family business. The book lays to a path for visionary entrepreneurship and a compelling call for stewardship and building an institution out of a family business and what it takes to create a business that enables multi-generational success. The book is printed on super high quality paper with great photography.
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  • Carrie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond exit-focused leadership
    Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Richard Seaman provides insights and actionable advice on how to develop a multigenerational family enterprise, instead of focusing on a future liquidity event, by drawing on the lessons he learned while serving as family-owned Seaman Corporation's CEO from 1976 to 2015.
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  • Lisa K.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Family owned Businesses are a Different Animal
    Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
    Did you know that outside of the United States most businesses are family-owned? Not all family-owned businesses are small mom and pop companies? Companies all over the world are multigenerational like Ford, Walmart, Cargill, and Comcast? If you have an interest or stake in a family-owned business then the new book A Vibrant Vision – The Entrepreneurship of Multigenerational Family Business by Richard Seaman is a must-read.

    Richard Seaman is CEO of the Seaman Corporation. His family company manufactures industrial fabric and is a $200 million firm with over 350 employees. It has survived several generations and it has been a challenge. Only 3% of family companies survive into the fourth generation. Seaman shares stories and antidotes about his company along with firms from all over the world. We obtain a better understanding of what struggles and triumphs go into growing a family business.

    A Vibrant Vision outlines eight key areas for family enterprises to focus on to grow and remain relevant for several generations.

    1. Innovation: The spirit of multigenerational growth
    2. Human Capital: Invest in people for the future
    3. Strategic planning: Focus on quality and constant reinvestment
    4. Customer-Focused quality
    5. Strategic imperative
    6. Governance: Focus on inside and outside views with inclusion
    7. Shareholder education and engagement
    8. Sustaining yourself throughout the journey

    Seaman shares his CARE program that has guided the business for years. There is both an internal and external focus.

    • External focus: Customers Are the Reason for Excellence
    • Internal focus: Competitive Advantage Requires Excellence

    Any leader running a family business has stories of the daily difficulties of maintaining a vision while keeping an eye on the goal of remaining independent, being sustainable, and building a solid foundation of family culture along with financial sustainability over many generations. A Vibrant Vision leads us on a family journey while sharing stories, graphs, and pictures of strategies, and offering a look inside the nuances of maintaining a lasting family business.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jon Lokhorst
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Vibrant Vision is equally informative and inspiring
    Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2020
    Richard Seaman’s work is one of the most attractive and enjoyable business books I’ve read this year. The glossy paper, color photos, and descriptive graphics add to the author’s compelling storyline and insights.

    Seaman offers family business entrepreneurs an alternative to the typical life cycle of such businesses—building for an eventual liquidity event that generates value for the owners but not always for employees and customers. Instead, Seaman provides a framework for growing the business, retaining family ownership, and maximizing value for all stakeholders. He refers to this approach as “entrepreneurship of a higher calling.”

    A Vibrant Vision is a must-read for all family business owners. Even those with a different long-term viewpoint will find Seaman’s insights worthwhile to improve leadership, governance, strategic planning, innovation, and human capital in their organizations.
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  • Janet Beal
    4.0 out of 5 stars Family-focused business values
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2020
    Not being involved at any point in my life in a family-owned business, I wasn't too interested in this book. But its super-appealing layout drew me in to being reading. There is much I cannot apply to my own life, so those chapters were flipped through quickly. But what caught my eye immediately was the Family Mission Statement and Handbook. For me, this section was the jewel of high price!
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  • Dr.John Hackett
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Journey of and Guide to Building a Multigenerational Family Business
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2020
    Richard Seaman's A Vibrant Vision is a fascinating story that provides the reader with two rich learning experiences. First, he details how his parent's vision of building a multigenerational business went from a basement operation with two sewing machines producing lace around the baby pants to a corporation producing industrial fabrics internationally. The author vividly paints how his parents established and stewarded a multigenerational company based on a foundation of family involvement, ongoing curiosity, creativity, innovation and persistence, and a strategic long term view. Secondly this picture can be an inspiration and a practical how to guide for those seeking to build an entrepreneurial enterprise to serve their families and their customers for the long term.
    Customer image
    Dr.John Hackett
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    The Journey of and Guide to Building a Multigenerational Family Business

    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2020
    Richard Seaman's A Vibrant Vision is a fascinating story that provides the reader with two rich learning experiences. First, he details how his parent's vision of building a multigenerational business went from a basement operation with two sewing machines producing lace around the baby pants to a corporation producing industrial fabrics internationally. The author vividly paints how his parents established and stewarded a multigenerational company based on a foundation of family involvement, ongoing curiosity, creativity, innovation and persistence, and a strategic long term view. Secondly this picture can be an inspiration and a practical how to guide for those seeking to build an entrepreneurial enterprise to serve their families and their customers for the long term.
    Images in this review
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