Metal fabricating: A family affair

The Ludlow Manufacturing team gathers for a picture. Lila Aryan Photography

My wife and I became empty-nesters as of October 2023. A little more than a month after graduating college, our daughter landed a job with a Chicago hospital and had leased an apartment on the city’s north side. The family reunion didn’t last too long.

Our oldest son graduated college in 2020 and decided to remain in the Nashville, Tenn., area. He’s got a job he likes and some occasional projects where he offers up his drumming talents. He only returns to the household to visit for the holidays.

That’s left my wife and me with the challenges of reconnecting. After more than 20 years of children being a very large part of our lives, we’re figuring out what we can do with a schedule that doesn’t involve attending sporting events or performances. Our time is now our own.

But a void still exists. Twenty years of sharing a dinner table with your children and fighting over entertainment options on a given night creates a certain expectation of lively conversation and debate. The silence in an empty house is noticeable.

When I now chat with metal fabricating companies that have the second, third, or even fourth generations as part of the mix, I get a little bit jealous. The parents don’t have to wait for the phone call that rarely comes from the offspring. They get to see the kids while at work.

Todd Ludlow, president, and Jenny Ludlow, CEO, of Ludlow Manufacturing Inc., the winner of The Fabricator’s 2024 Industry Award, now have two of their three children as part of the company. Jackson, 30, is assistant plant manager, and Joseph, 25, is the information technology administrator. Todd Ludlow chatted about the dynamic of working with his two sons during a recent recording of The Fabricator Podcast.

“They don’t report to me, which is probably good for them and me,” Ludlow joked.

Ludlow admitted that it can be a challenge to work with family. The expectations are much greater than they might be for other employees, particularly when the employees share the same last name as the company founders.

But when you start seeing the success that your children have in navigating the chaos of a job shop environment, you get an immense sense of satisfaction that’s hard to duplicate.

“The biggest thing I look for is how do they work with others, and they do it very well,” Ludlow said. “They get along with people. It’s not, ‘Hey! My parents own the company.’ And that’s what you want.”

Not only can this be classified as a parenting success, but it’s also key to a harmonious work environment. That’s part of establishing a successful company culture. Ludlow describes it as “everyone pulling the rope in the same direction.”

This concept of family pride isn’t limited to owners and their children. I’ve been in numerous shops where two generations work side by side on the shop floor. The parent has the benefit of keeping an eye on his or her progeny, and the children know that they are working in an environment where they have a built-in support network, if needed.

Even the company benefits from these family arrangements. When a family member joins the organization, it is typically adding quality individuals to the team. Also, company owners and management get to see that they are creating a place that people want to join.

I once wrote that it’s wrong for people to consider their places of employment as “family.” These are businesses after all, and sometimes tough decisions have to be made to stay competitive. Layoffs are a fact of life in today’s economy.

I might have softened that stance in recent years. Given today’s very low unemployment rates, not too many companies are laying off people. Additionally, companies are highly incentivized to keep the good folks that they already have on the payroll.

Ludlow Manufacturing and other family-owned companies are enjoying success for numerous reasons, but a large part of it is having a team that wants to do right by the customer and each other. Being part of a winning team is exciting and acts as a great motivator to look forward to work each day. Having family members as part of that team makes the effort that much more special.

Don’t undervalue moments with those who are close to you. Some of us are stuck eating reheated frozen pizza wondering when the team might be getting back together.