Considering an outside investment is a complicated decision for businesses, but especially for family businesses. The investment can provide needed capital and liquidity; at the same time, family members may not want to share control of the business.

At this installment of our Legacy Series, we hear from two family businesses and their investors:

• Willamette Valley Company (WVCO), a manufacturer of engineered products founded in Eugene, Oregon in 1952. In 2017, Endeavour Capital invested in WVCO to provide partial liquidity to the long-time shareholders and support management’s pursuit of acquisitions and other growth initiatives. We were joined by:
  • John Harrison, longtime CEO and now chairman of the Board of WVCO
  • Aaron Richmond, Senior Advisor, and David Goldberg, Managing Director, at Endeavour
• Markey Machine, founded in Seattle in 1907, is a leader in marine deck equipment and the winch industry. In 2022, Markey closed a recapitalization with Christian Schiller and Brian Bogen, with Jeff and Blaine Dempke maintaining a minority ownership. We were joined by Jeff Dempke, General Manager of Markey Machinery and son of the CEO, Blaine Dempke.

The family owners and their investors will discuss: (i) how the family came to consider an external investment; (ii) the decision making process and steps leading to pursuing an outside investment; and (iii) the impact the investment had on the family and the business.