The Hickman family have been staples in the hardwood flooring industry for decades, running Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring and Hickman Lumber Co. out of Emlenton, Pa. In a recent profile in the Wall Street Journal, the family opened up about what it’s like to run a lumber business with three generations working together.
The family members working for the business have an age range spanning nearly 50 years, from Larry Hickman (86) to Dennis Hickman (63) to Jake Hickman (39) to Jessica Hickman Fresch (37). “With about 8% of people 75 and older now in the labor force, nearly double the labor-force participation rate from 30 years ago, it’s more common to have four and possibly five generations at one workplace,” the WSJ article notes. “The Hickmans’ approach has lessons for the rest of us. Each generation of family members tries to respect the others’ skills and roles, and they rely on each other to help keep the company going. While they have different management styles and working habits, they steer clear of conflict by staying in their own lane.”
The full article can be found here.
