Nigel Cope looks at some of Britain's oldest-established firms still in the hands of their founding families to ask what lessons we can learn from them

From Tiptree jam and Walker's Shortbread to Barbour jackets and the brewer Shepherd Neame, some of the UK's most trusted trading names are still owned by their founding families. How have they survived for two or three centuries when so many other companies fall by the wayside? Could it be that family businesses, with their long-term thinking, conservative approach to financing and broader definition of success, offer a compelling alternative to the approach of the big PLCs?

Family businesses are the backbone of the UK economy. There are five million of them, accounting for 90 per cent of all private-sector employment. Yet their importance is often overlooked.

Focusing in detail on a dozen great survivors, from household names to the silk weaver which made the fabric for Princess Diana's wedding dress and a 300-year-old chain of funeral directors, Nigel Cope distils their experience into lessons from which other companies can learn – and which could be vital in helping our economy grow.



NIGEL COPE is a former national newspaper business journalist and corporate communications professional with more than thirty years' experience in telling companies' stories. He worked at The Independent for ten years from 1993, covering business news, latterly as City editor. He then spent nearly twenty years at Kingfisher plc, the retail group which includes B&Q, as head of media relations. He is previously the author of Retail in the Digital Age (1996), an analysis of the impact of the internet on retailing. It was one of the first UK books on the subject.



'Nigel Cope has produced a brilliant book for anyone interested in families and business, and their intersection. In a business world where the headlines are dominated by big corporates, he brings to life the history of these family businesses, and also their lessons for the future. The secrets of the enduring success of the family business model make compelling reading'



'A brilliant exploration of Britain's unsung corporate champions, the thousands of family companies that have endured over generations. The Great Survivors is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how businesses can re-invent themselves to survive over a century or more'



'The Great Survivors is a fascinating page turner about many of Britain's locally loved, but frequently overlooked, family businesses. Required reading for anyone seeking to understand or replicate the Darwinian factors behind centuries-old successful businesses. The stories from these wonderful businesses demonstrate that success is down to committed, passionate individuals who take limited risks and prioritise sustainability over short term growth and profits. It's also a very human account of the amusing anecdotes, conflicts and tragedies which beset families'