impact on BUSINESS
All in the Family
Family businesses thrive with SNHU alumni at the top. By Stephanie Bergeron
John Cote ’69, Don Cote ’74 and John Cote Jr. ’93 have made moving a family tradition for three generations.
a job in New Jersey. One year later he returned to the family business.
The Cote family has built on a tradition started in 1945 at Louis P. Cote Inc., a company specializing in rigging, trucking, crating, machinery moving and millwrighting. In addition to the family business, the Cotes have made Southern New Hampshire University part of their legacy.
As the third-generation Cote, John Jr. is the project manager and is looking to expand business into Canada and Greece. Seeking new ideas, such as the zipline he installed at Dollywood in Tennessee, is part of his long-range plan.
Evolution and Opportunity John Cote ’69 and Don Cote ’74, Louis’ sons, attended in the university’s early days on Hanover Street. Destined for careers in the family business, the brothers made their educational choices – business and finance – based on the roles they’d serve in the company. John is now president and Don is vice president. The brothers explained that as children they would hang around the shop with their dad, so becoming part of the family business was a natural evolution. John Jr. ’93, much like his father and uncle, had been exposed to the family business at a young age. After graduating from SNHU, he spread his wings and took
Impact
Fall 2009
“Recognizing a need and consistently growing to fill the need has been our approach,” he said.
Making It Work With a total of seven members of the Cote family involved in the business, there are challenges, but the dynamic always remains positive, John Sr. said. “Communication is the key to success,” he said. The Cotes established a chain of authority early on to help avoid any confusion with roles. “You must be willing to do anything you would ask anyone else to do,” explained Don.