Graeter's: A Fourth-Generation Family Business

1. Graeter's current management team bought the business from their parents, who did not have a formal succession plan in place to indicate who would do what. Do you think the current team should have such a plan specifying who is to step into the business, when, and with what responsibilities? Why or why not?

2. Graeter's hired management consultants to help improve its training procedures and expand distribution. "I think my cousins and I all have come to realize we can't do it alone," says the CEO. Why do you think the management team made this decision? Does the involvement of outside consultants move Graeter's further from its roots as a family business?

3. Do you agree with Graeter's decision to stop franchising? Explain your answer.