Episode 13: The Gliderol story - letting go, taking it back, and turning it around скачать в хорошем качестве

Episode 13: The Gliderol story - letting go, taking it back, and turning it around

In this episode of Owner Insights, James Orchard speaks with Ben Lumbers about the remarkable story of Gliderol – a South Australian manufacturing success founded by his father in the 1970s. The company pioneered roller garage doors and was known for a culture that was anything but ordinary, including long lunches and footy trips on the infamous “Gliderol Bus”. Gliderol grew into a truly global operation. But this is not just a growth story. Ben takes us inside the decision to sell the family business in 2011, and the point at which he realised the future he had imagined wasn’t going to play out as expected. Four years later, Ben spots the business back on the market – this time making losses for the first time in its history. What follows is a tense negotiation, a bold decision to buy it back, and a rapid turnaround driven by reuniting key people, restoring culture, and refocusing on the customer, before eventually selling the business again a few years later. This episode of Owner Insights is a reminder that nobody understands a business quite like the people who built it. When decisions drift too far from the customer and the culture, even strong businesses can lose their way, as this story shows.