Goping with famil business ills

55f ucx's A cHANCE, but trouble's sure," the poet A.E.

l-./Housman wrote, speaking to the wisdom of preparing for problems as opposed to counting on good fortune. Even the most serendipitous family business will encounter trouble at some point. Some family business leaders may turn to attorneys, accountants, family-business consultants, and other experts to provide essential support.

But not all problems encountered in a family business will require outside professional help. A well-prepared family business should be able to cope independently with most of the common issues, such as hiring from within the family or a parent's reluctance to step down.

If you want to increase your in-house ability to deal with challenges like these, the best thing any family business leader can do is to install an experienced board of directors.

The next best thing is to embark on a lifelong personal effort to learn all aspects of managing a family business.

Back to School

There are many family-business centers, mostly university-based, scattered throughout the U.S. Dozens more cen- ters devoted to studying and educating people about family business exist around the world. These centers sponsor research, organize events, and offer courses. The Family Firm Institute, a group for family-business advisers, offers good resources for study, many of them available on its website at www.ffi.org.

Some of the university centers offer multi-year degrees or diplomas in family-business management. Others have courses you can complete in a few days or weeks, with valuable information on topics as general as basic management and as specific as intergenerational wealth transfer. Prices vary. Harvard Business School offers a six-day program fbr a whopping $30,000 per four-person group. Less expensive options and single-day seminars also exist.

Visit the Library

Conventions and other gatherings aimed at family business leaders are sponsored by university or professional family-business centers or held by event management companies. They offer good opportunities to learn. They may be one-time affairs, featuring speakers and panel discussions on specific topics, or annual events that focus largely on networking.

Both can be educational. offerins leading-edge ideas lrom recognized experts as well as the chance to network with like-minded family businesspeople who can provide more informal, but often equally useful insight.

Books are another readily accessible resource. Options range from the biographies of famous business families, to discussions of family business management issues, to more general business and professional titles. One of the most entertaining and instructive reads on my bookshelf is Birtfuight: Murder, Power and Greed in the U-Hctul Family Dynasg by Ron Watkins (William Morrow, 1993), the story of L.S. Shoen, founder of UHaul. Another favorite of mine is Generation to Generation by Kelin Gersick, John Davis, Marion McCollom Hampton, and Ivan Lansberg (Harvard Business School Press,1997).

Give Yourself an Edge

For the most timely look at family business issues, there are several family-business magazines, as well as regular coverage on family business published in general business magazines. Building-Produdscom

Family Business Review, the journal published by the Family Firm Institute, presents research by scholars and practical examinations of critical issues by experienced family-business advisers and leaders.

If you take the time to educate yourself about family business problems now, you'll not only learn to solve many of your organization's problems without outside help, you'll learn to distinguish between troubles that really do require expert assistance and those you can handle on your own. On those occasions when you do have to hire a pro, you'll also be better prepared to decide what kind of adviser you need and you'll have the tools to select the best one.

- Jame.s Olun Htttchc.tt,n i.s munagitrg pdrtner and .t'bunder of ReGeneration Partrters, a Jamily business consulting Jirm headquartered in Dallas, T"r. He con be reached at (800) 406-1112 or rrww .re generation-partners .com o premier distributor of whofesde bdtdtng pmduasit Roseburg Engineered Wood Prodtrcts in ihe Soufhem Huff Lumber offurs the complete line of Roseburg eWf .*fil -dih fuii technicol copobilities including loke-off, conversion, plocement drowings cnd engineering services. EWP moterisls qre ovoiloble in mill direct bujk shipmenls, locol unils ond cui piece iob pockoges.

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Depot Stuck on San Francisco

Home Depot has filed an aPPlication to build a store in San Francisco, Ca.-a city that has denied two of the chain's previous applications.

"It was disappointing for us, having invested close to a decade in trying to open a location in San Francisco," said spokesperson Kathryn Gallagher. "However. we have never given uP hope, and we've been looking for the right location and opportunity to build a store."

The application is for a 120,000-sq. ft. store with a 18,255-sq. ft. garden center on 7 .9 acres in the BaYview section of the city. Until 2009, the property was home to a printing plant for The Chronicle newsPaPer. Currently, it's a temporary home for Webcor, a construction firm.

"San Francisco is an important market for the Home DePot," said Gallagher. "Our analysis indicates that there is more than enough demand for multiple home-improvement retailers in the city."

Oregon Mill Cited for Leaks

Sanders Wood Products Co., Liberal, Ore., reached a settlement with the EPA to pay over $108,000 in penalties stemming from alleged chemical leaks at its sawmills.

During a 2009 inspection, an EPA inspector discovered leaks in three transformers. He also claimed the transformers were not properly maintained and lacked necessary labels.

As part of the deal, Sanders removed the leaking transformers, cleaned up the contaminated areas, and certified that all of its facilities are currently in compliance with all applicable requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

SlPs Maker Expands Reach

Premier SIPS by Insulfoam, Tacoma, Wa., has expanded to the Eastern U.S. with the addition of manufacturing capabilities in Ohio.

The company currently supplies structural insulated panels throughout the West from plants in Kent, Wa., and Dixon, Ca.

Weyco Ships OSB to Japan

Weyerhaeuser's mill in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, Canada, this month begins producing JAS-certified OSB that will be exported to Japan. Shipping should start in May.

"We are very excited to be entering the Japan market," said mill manager Chad Kelly. "This is a great fit for us in terms of our wood supply and our production strengths. We have a 9-ft. wide press so we can produce 3-ft. wide material very efficiently."

The mill will use a proprietary formulation specifically engineered to meet JAS strength and stiffness criteria, as well as stringent F4 requirements for formaldehyde emission levels. To fit Japanese building practices, the panels will measure 9lOmm x1820mm (approx.3'x6') and 910mm x2730mm (3'x9'). Custom sizes will also be produced.

Based in Federal Way, Wa., the company has an office in Tokyo and more than 50 years experience in the Japanese housing market.