Tales Of A Fourth Generation Textile Executive (TOAFGTE): Oh, Brother!

Dear TOAFGTE Reader,

I have some big news to report to you today.  No, we are not buying another company at this time.  We are about to unveil the Jaftex secret weapon that we have been cultivating in clandestine fabric training camps around the world.  Drum roll please!  I am proud to announce that my older brother, Greg, has joined the family business.

Greg had a brief stint in the family business around 20 years ago, but left after about a year to follow his dreams of being a stock trader.  At that time, the fabric business was more about the chain stores, unlike today where it is more about the Quilt Shops the way our business is currently structured.  That being said, Greg more or less is learning the business from scratch and is progressing very nicely. 

Greg brings with him a wealth of business knowledge, analytical skills and managerial capabilities from his various jobs as both a trader and a business owner/manager.  For our business, he brings a fresh perspective.  Don’t underestimate the importance of a fresh perspective.  After working in the same place for several years, it is sometimes hard to clear out all the preconceived notions to take a fresh, and much needed, look at a business.  Every day, our team is filled with Greg’s observations and we definitely do have some ah-hah moments.  Needless to say, we welcome Greg and his insights to the family business.

For me, I am happy to have another family member from the same generation.  With all the advancements in technology nowadays, having Greg here will definitely help to expedite the transition to making Jaftex more technologically savvy.  In addition, it will certainly be nice to have another confidante around and of course it will be nice to spend more time with my brother.  The most important thing about having Greg here is that I can pawn off the job of firing my dad on him.  Ha, ha, ha!  I crack myself up.

The only other thing that I can say is that I hope you take some time to introduce yourself to Greg the next time you see him at market or travelling the US on sales calls.  Thank you for welcoming him to the team.

Have a nice day!

Brother Scott