What Makes Family Businesses Last?

The Marinelli family of southern Italy has been making church bells for more than a thousand years. Now, brothers Armando and Pasquale continue the tradition, casting bells using the same process as their ancestors for clients including the Vatican. To celebrate their history, Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli also keeps a museum housing one of the world's largest collections of church bells, many of them cast by Marinellis.

We spoke to Armando Marinelli about his family’s early days in the business, the evolution of their industry and the secrets to their longevity.

The van der Merwe family are behind South Africa's oldest family business, a heritage farmhouse and fruit producer/exporter called Boplaas 1743. Under generations of van der Merwe stewardship, Boplaas has maintained a careful balance between tradition and innovation. The original farmyard was named a South African National Monument in 1973, with guests travelling from far and wide to get a sense of its heritage, while the company's Marlenique Packhouse operates using 90 per cent renewable solar energy produced in their floating solar plant — an African first.

Fanie van der Merwe, the current General Manager of Boplaas 1743, spoke with us about the significance of stewardship, the importance of open dialogue and his vision for a sustainable future.