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V O L . X X V I I N O. X I I I J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 2 1 26 FA M I LY - OW N E D B U S I N E S S I n 1936, Harry Allen Mapes started H.A. Mapes Inc. in Springvale to deliver heating oil. His son, Harry "Allen" Mapes Jr., entered the business in 1950 and expanded the company's reach further into southern Maine. In 1982, Allen's son Jonathan formally joined the company and built the fuel distribution division. Following suit, Jonathan's daughter, Saunya Mapes Urban, started in 2015 and today is gen- eral manager. "It's like a jacket you never take off," Jonathan Mapes, the company's president and CEO, says of the multi-generational nature of the business. "It's a sense of security, pride, respect and identity." Sense of pride is a common thread with multi-generational firms. ere's a strong feeling of having a special role in the community. Today's customer might well be the grandchild of the customer the company's founder served. ere are also considerations spe- cific to a multi-generational company: P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F H . A . M A P E S I N C . F O C U S As a business leader, you know that the hardest climb isn't Denali or even Everest. It's the CEO's life long leadership journey. But you don't have to go it alone. You can travel with an experienced guide who knows the lay of the land and an elite team of peers who've got your back. And with that kind of support, the sky's the limit. When you're ready for the climb of a lifetime, the path starts here. Learn more • Contact George Casey • Vistage Chair 207-869-5491 • george.casey@vistagechair.com • vistage.com/chairs/george.casey Find out how you can go further and higher. It's like a jacket you never take off. — Jonathan Mapes H.A. Mapes Inc. At H.A. Mapes Inc., President and CEO Jonathan Mapes says the responsibility of a family business is "like a jacket you never take off." Heirloom asset? or Multi-generation business owners navigate transition from past to future B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r

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