Tugboat Institute® member Ford Mennel is the fifth generation leader of his family company, The Mennel Milling Company. In their 139 years, the company has been through many phases, some marked by prosperity and expansion, and some by stagnation and risk. Through it all, the series of family leaders who have shepherded Mennel have succeeded in building an Evergreen® company that is strong, continually expanding, diverse, and surprisingly innovative, given that their industry is one of the oldest in human society.

In this talk, Ford not only shares his family’s and company’s history, the risks they faced, and the strategies that allowed them to survive and thrive over time. He also demonstrates creativity in his approach to Pragmatic Innovation, not just in Mennel Milling’s products and services, but also in accessing capital for acquisitions while safeguarding the company’s Evergreen independence.