In the Pamiès family, which presides over the destinies of the Lauraire des Lys wine estate, on the foothills of the Black Mountain, there is no need to ask for the daughter. She left Languedoc for Paris, where she is now a communications consultant. “Viticulture was not, for me, a choice of heart, especially since I had to continue my schooling in Paris, which took me away from the family business”she explains, while entrusting her “deep admiration” for his brother, who took over alongside his parents and “runs the business with a master hand”.
Far from television series where the heirs multiply maneuvers and low blows to recover the direction of the paternal empire, in real life, having to succeed one’s parents is sometimes like a poisoned gift. A legacy that is difficult to talk about, so much the subject intertwines the threads of filial love, loyalty and personal aspirations of each.
Like this young entrepreneur who, after brilliant studies in a business school, confides − under the seal of anonymity − that his ” dream “ was light years away from the two industrial SMEs founded by his parents in the north of France. Asked, several potential “heirs” of a family business told us why they had chosen not to follow in the footsteps of their parents… before renouncing to see their testimony published, so as not to hurt their loved ones or the employees of the company. ‘business.
“In a family company, decisions are not always taken rationally: there is affect, links that go beyond professional links.testifies Anne Malassagne, who took over, somewhat in spite of herself, the wine estate of her parents in the company of her brother, before making the choice, three decades later, and still somewhat in spite of herself, to sell it. In the case of a wine company, you both own the land – it’s almost sacred! – and the family, you don’t have your hands completely free. »
A necessary shareholder stability
However, the question of transmission, and therefore the sustainability of companies, is today a crucial issue for the French economic fabric. All categories combined, SMEs, medium-sized companies (ETI) and large groups, around 83% of French companies – i.e. around 150,000 – are family-run. But only 17% of transmissions take place within the parental circle, compared to 56% in Germany and 70% in Italy. Finally, 17,000 companies disappear each year, for lack of a buyer.
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