Second Life Leader · 2026-05-22 · 33 min
David Hanner joins me to unpack one of the most difficult transitions any company faces: How do family businesses grow without losing the character that made them successful in the first place? We started with a simple reality. Growth creates complexity. And in manufacturing businesses - especially family-owned companies - that complexity compounds fast. Inventory, cash flow, dealer networks, financing, operations, succession planning, modernization. Every decision affects five others downstream. David brings perspective from inside a multi-generational manufacturing company producing heavy crushing equipment, where growth over the last several years has forced the organization to rethink everything from finance systems to operational strategy. This wasn’t a conversation about generic business advice. It was about what actually happens when a growing company realizes that “selling more” is no longer enough. We dug into working capital management, inventory risk, dealer financing, modernization efforts, leadership transitions, and why cash flow - not revenue - is what ultimately creates long-term opportunity.
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