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What are the factors that drove a family-owned chemical company’s success and how can the family balance monetization of the business with the desire to continue the legacy?
What are the factors that drove a family-owned chemical company’s success and how can the family balance monetization of the business with the desire to continue the legacy?
Global Family Enterprise Program
Founded in 1978 just outside of Chicago, Aakash Chemicals and Dye-stuffs (“ACDI”) has grown from a small family enterprise to a global player in the pigments and colorants space. This case follows the story of ACDI from its beginning as the dream of a close-knit Indian American family to a mature business whose success has forced the family to decide how best to both capitalize on their hard work as well as to ascertain the successful legacy of the business that bears its family name. Students will learn about how the Shah family built ACDI after finding the market opportunity, how the ownership has evolved with the growth of the family as well as stated desires to exit, and the exit opportunities that exist for family enterprises. In addition, students will discuss how the Shahs successfully grew the business through a combination of in-family hard work and strategic outside hires in addition to assessing how the Shahs engaged outside investor/owners as a potential monetization strategy.
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