“We’re a big company now,” says Ross, the chairman and second-generation builder of an enterprise with $800 million in annual revenue, about 650 employees, and operations throughout Canada and the United States - indeed, with the majority of personnel and sales in the U.S.
The result: a little-known gem of Canadian industry has been able to grow and prosper. Today, the founder’s son Ross Reucassel, 80, can look out the window at the 14-acre site - a bustling beehive of refinery, technical labs, vats and head office - in the Toronto community of Agincourt, knowing his son John is down the hall, running the enterprise that John’s late brother, Ken, had shaped. Then, when a beloved son got sick, the magnetic pull of the family business drew another son back into the company, putting him in place to guide the enterprise when his brother’s illness proved fatal. The key has been its ability to manage succession in the midst of sorrow - first, on the founder’s death, by transitioning to a non-family executive who guided the company for decades, building a management team and mentoring family members. The resilience of both the family and the business has allowed The International Group to survive and prosper as an independent player in the midst of giants, as a global leader in the niche industry of making and selling waxes - from candle wax to floor wax to packaging sealants. A CASE STUDY IN MENTORSHIP AND PERSONAL GROWTH IN A FAMILY BUSINESS
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