Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves in 6 Generations

The Stroh family was successful by many measures. A German immigrant founded the brewery business in the 1850s, which survived Prohibition by expanding into ice cream and grew to be the third-largest beer business in America by the 1980s. Yet by 1999, Stroh Brewery was sold off and the family business ended.

Frances Stroh, part of the fifth generation, has written a memoir about the unraveling of the family business titled, "Beer Money: A Memoir of Privilege and Loss."  Her memoir is worth a read, as it illustrates how the inability to sustain effective leadership in changing economic conditions can lead to the downfall of a once-successful family business.

Read the article from The New York Times to get the flavor of Ms. Stroh’s family narrative.  

Maggie Vining counsels high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and families in trusts and estates matters. She advises on wealth transfer, estate, gift, and business succession planning, and represents clients in the administration of trusts and estates. Margaret also works with tax-exempt organizations and charitable foundations. Contact Maggie at 503.778.5249 or margaretvining@dwt.com.