The Success Through Succession (STS) Programme is a three-year programme with total project funding of €1.74m and is a collaborative partnership between Dundalk Institute of Technology, Glasgow Caledonian University, being led by the University of Ulster and aims to strategically assist family owned SMEs across Northern Ireland, the Six Border Counties of Ireland and the West of Scotland to manage the challenges of succession using a series of interventions. The STS Programme has brought its first and second cohort of companies through the succession process culminating in the development of the bespoke Succession Plans.

On 25^th June 2012 the STS Programme in Ireland hosted a ‘Best Practice’ event for our Cohort II STS participant companies in the Hillgrove Hotel, Co. Monaghan. Five cohort II companies were able to attend the event with a total of 8 delegates. An intimate event it offered the participants a thought provoking and unique opportunity to discuss family business and succession issues with leaders in their field who were extremely candid in their responses.

The event offered participants a talk from the entrepreneurial and innovative Wright Family who have a portfolio of family businesses including Wrights Quarry Products and the Killyhevlin Hotel. Managing Director of Wrights Quarry Products David was joined by his wife, Jackie, and two of his children who are involved in the family businesses, Nicola and Stephen. Both Jackie and David have been through succession previously as second generation business owners and are currently navigating the process for both Nicola and Stephen therefore afforded the STS participant companies an informative insight into moving a family business to the third generation. The Wright Family cite communication, commitment and flexibility as the key to implement any succession plans.