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Member-only Insight Events
Member-only Insight Events
Learn from real businesses, real challenges, and real
solutions at our family business insight events
What are Insight Events?
Learn from real businesses, real challenges, and real solutions at our Family Business Insight Events, a unique opportunity to step inside successful family businesses and gain insights from their experiences.
Each event combines a tour of the host business with an insight session where you’ll hear their story directly from the leadership team.
Forthcoming Events
Past Insight Events
Members Only Insight Event at Carrs Pasties Bolton
27 January 2026If you’ve ever come across the Carr brothers, you’ll know that you can expect frank opinions and honest appraisals of any situation. And sure enough, the family business leaders who...
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Members only – Insight Event – JJ Smith Woodworking – Liverpool
25 November 2025The transformation of JJ Smith, a century old family business, is an object lesson in how to modernise. Sending their Sales Director out on the road for three months, not...
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Members only – Insight Event – Pendle Doors – Blackburn
29 October 2025Our Insight Event at Pendle Doors When Ryan Anderson was offered a job in Dubai a few years ago, it was the trigger for a conversation with his parents about...
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Attending Insight Events
Whether you are relatively local and interested in learning more about the specific business, or willing to travel from further afield because of a particular interest in the challenge or sector, we’d love to see you.
Events are free, however as spaces are limited we will ask you to book your place well in advance. We’d also ask you to let us know if your plans change and you aren’t able to attend, as we’ll keep a waiting list once places are filled.
For more details, contact events@fambizcommunity.com
If your business is not currently a member, click the button below to join.
Here’s a look at our previous visits
Our Insight Event at Pendle Doors
When Ryan Anderson was offered a job in Dubai a few years ago, it was the trigger for a conversation with his parents about his role the family business. After years working at Pendle Doors, his assessment of the culture was honest: “I wasn’t sure that I would want to work here.” The autonomy his parents gave him to change things was a big part of his decision to stay.
The transformation of Pendle Doors tells the story. During this week’s Family Business Community insight event at the Darwen fire door manufacturer, Ryan, now Managing Director, his sister Rebecca Barrow (HR Manager) and Mum Sue Anderson (Financial Director and co-founder) shared how they’ve quadrupled revenue targets since 2018 and went several years without losing a single employee. They also shared what hasn’t worked.
Ryan’s credibility comes from having worked every role in the business – he could step into just about any job on the floor. Rebecca’s comes from somewhere entirely different: corporate HR experience leading teams in the oil & gas industry, retail, and higher education.
Sue, who founded the business with her husband Steve, acknowledged that things needed to shift. In years gone by, disputes would have been settled by a ‘conversation in the car park’ – definitely not how things are done in 2025.
As with other insight events, wider discussion in the room touched on everything from providing meaningful work opportunities for offenders, to the challenges of succession.
To find out more about Pendle Doors, see their website.
Key Takeaways from the visit:
Pendle’s six core values appear on uniforms, factory banners, appraisal forms, and interview questions. When employees suggested adding “teamwork” as a sixth value, leadership listened.
Their birthday reward “spin the wheel” seemed fun but employee feedback revealed otherwise. They scrapped it and gave employees birthdays off instead.
Maintaining cohesion between an older facility and a modern site requires deliberate strategy, not just goodwill.
Heavy, custom fire doors resist production line efficiency. The team is constantly balancing craft with scalability.
From payroll systems still running on spreadsheets to corridor conversations that no longer work at 60 employees (heading to 100), scaling means professionalising communication and processes – even when cash and priorities compete.
They’re exploring college partnerships and recruitment agencies and trying to “think like a bigger business” without losing what makes them distinctive. They recruit for cultural fit and train for skills.
Examples of employees moving from shop floor to management roles, clear frameworks showing growth opportunities, and open discussions about succession planning all create trust.
Real Life Stories
Our insight sessions are usually in one of three formats:
1. Leadership Talk
Our host tells their story directly to the group
2. Panel Discussion
We hear multiple perspectives from the host’s team and topic experts
3. Fireside Chat
We have an informal Q&A session with pre-arranged interview questions facilitated by our team
All sessions conclude with audience questions and discussion.
Interested in Hosting an Event?
Hosting an insight event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your
business and share your experiences with fellow family business leaders
What you need to provide:
- A room that accommodates 12 or more people
comfortably, and tea or coffee on arrival. - Something to Show:
This could be:
▪ A warehouse or production line
▪ Visual management boards
▪ Brand values displays
▪ Innovative use of space
▪ New technology or processes
- A story to tell:
We’d love to hear you share:
▪ Your personal leadership journey
▪ A business innovation or strategy decision story
▪ A challenge you’ve had to overcome
▪ Cultural transformation experiences
▪ A story of a significant business milestone or turning point
We’ll Provide:
- Full event coordination and logistics
▪ Promotion to our Family Business Community Members
▪ Event registration and attendee management
▪ Recording or note-taking during the session
▪ A follow-up article highlighting key insights for wider sharing
▪ Social media content featuring your business
