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The Battalion
Page 3 • Wednesday, September 29, 2004
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By Kirk Ehlig
THE BATTALION
Weall know the scenario: A child goes to work for the family business
Ithe child goes through living hell. Or, a child doesn’t work for the
nilybusiness and still goes through living hell.
The stressful decision of whether to go into the family business
over some students’ heads. The pressure may come from
i, the students' perceived obligation or the feeling of job se-
rity within the family.
Joshua Kruse, a senior history major, said it was easy for him to de-
go into his father’s veterinary clinic, because he never felt any
sure from his father to do so.
Actually, he didn’t want me to become a vet, because he knew
wmany hours you have to work, and how initially, it wasn't really
irth the money that you start out with.” said Kruse, who wants to
aMajor League Baseball ballpark tour guide. “He let me make my
ra decision.”
This decision, though, might not come so easily for other students.
Ithinkthey would be better served, long tenn, by getting some ex-
lience somewhere else,” sa<d Danny A. Klinefelter, a professor for the
paitment of Agricultural Economics and extension economist. “And
ic business would be better served for them having a different
ispective and experience base.
Timothy N. Bryan, chairman and CEO of The First National Bank in
and Class of 1972, works with his father, Travis B. Bryan, Jr., se-
Khairman of the board of The First National Bank and Class of 1949.
® mothy decided to postpone working for his father at the bank and went
work for the Texas Commerce Bank in Houston for 20 years.
1 thought 1 would probably end up here one day and it provided me
sense of security that 1 would have a job somewhere when I got out
A&M,” said Timothy, who is a descendant of William Joel Bryan,
: namesake of the town. “But my preference was to go off outside of
i-College Station because I had been here pretty much all my life.”
Timothy said students should do what he did by leaving the nest and
tag it on their own without family help, but keep the tamily business
in open for the future.
imothy returned to work at his father's bank 14 years ago, choosing
family bank over a corporate bank in Dallas.
This was more appealing to me than going to Dallas, especially since
family had such a large ownership interest in this institution,” Timo-
ysaid’T would have no ownership interest in the Dallas bank.”
Onedownside of working with family is that the family dynamics and
ofessionaldynamics don't always mesh, said Timothy.
‘There are a lot of issues that, once you’re in business together, are
metimeshard to talk about because there still is the parent-child rela-
ilpaswell as the personal relationship outside the business,” said
Klinefelter, who is also the director of The Ex
ecutive Program for Agricultural Producers, a
program that deals with a lot of family-run busi
nesses.
This might turn a few students, who are
anxious about pleasing their parents with
their work, away from the family business.
Klinefelter said it is important for the fam
ily members to have good communication at
the job, and that children and parents should
discuss the expectations of the job. It’s also
key for parents to not push the kids too hard
and be too forceful with ideas.
Timothy said it’s great working with his
father because he has learned a lot about
life and the community he couldn’t learn in
Houston.
“1 wouldn’t say he has taught me a lot
about credit analysis or credit structuring
because that is mostly what Houston taught
me,” Timothy said. “He’s basically taught
me how to navigate the local politics, how
local customers want to be treated and the
kind of banking that fits this area.”
Timothy said concerns about coming
back to work for his dad were that changes
he envisioned for the company wouldn’t be
welcomed because everything had been one
way for so long.
“That concern was totally unfounded,
because after discussion of any changes 1
wanted to make, they typically agreed,” he
said. “I was worried I wouldn’t be given
enough authority.”
“(The opportunities) to move into man
agement and senior management and ... to
implement your ideas, if you own it and
control it, are easier.”
With some expected doubts about working
with family some might have, Timothy said
some of the biggest positives that come from it are trust, support
and the enjoyment of being around family.
Michael Lau, a graduate student at A&M, decided to go back
to work for his father in the family’s meat business in California,
after he receives his doctorate in agricultural economics. He said
that much of his reasoning is from family ties.
“I grew up in the business, and 1 enjoy doing it,” he said. “My
dad wants to retire one day, and he’s built a great business and 1
RYAN HUNTEN - The Battalion
don’t want to see it go away,” Lau said.
Even though Lau and his younger brother want to take over
the family business in the future, he doesn’t want his doctorate
go to waste.
“It gives me an opportunity to hopefully make money and to
be able to expand and hopefully get some real world experience,”
Lau said. “If I ever go back and teach, instead of just saying,
‘This is how you do it,’ I can say, ‘I did this and this is what re
ally happens.’”
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