Managing Editor
Alex and Hampton Graham are four years apart in age and opposites in personality tests.
Yet they effortlessly complete each other’s sentences and share the same title, vice chair of Scott-McRae Group, the car dealership and diversified business their great-grandfather launched in 1916.
They’re well aware that less than 10 percent, perhaps as low as 3 percent, of family businesses make it to the fourth generation.
“There are no statistics for the fifth,” said Hampton, 25, whose wedding is planned Jan. 15. Alex, 29, and his wife, Caroline, have a 2-year-old son, Luke.
The fifth generation is at hand.
The Graham brothers’ full names are Alexander McRae Graham and Hampton Harris Graham. Alex is a graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South and Florida Coastal School of Law and is a member of The Florida Bar.
Hampton is a 2007 graduate of the University of Florida Warrington School of Business with a degree in marketing.
They join Scott-McRae President and CEO David Hodges and Executive Vice President and CFO Jeff Curry to run the collection of businesses throughout the Southeast.
While they had planned eventually to take leadership roles in the company, where they’ve been working in various jobs for years, they didn’t plan on it so soon.
“We had a great timeline for how things would progress over 10 years,” said Alex.
They stepped up as their dad, Henry Harris “Tip” Graham Jr., was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Graham shared publicly in October 2007, at a golf tournament to raise funds for ALS research, that he had been diagnosed the April before.
Tip Graham died July 17 at the age of 61.
In February, Tip and his wife, Diane, had become co-chairs of the company, naming their sons as vice chairs. Diane’s father, Walter McRae Jr., was named chair emeritus. The brothers’ older sister, Katie Graham Forde, lives in North Carolina.
Walter McRae Sr. started the company 94 years ago when he opened Duval Motors as a Ford Motor Co. dealership.
In a recent interview at their Riverside area offices, the Graham brothers talked about taking over a business with 800 employees throughout the Southeast and about 400 in the Jacksonville area.
“When you have 800 people, the survival of this company is a big deal,” said Hampton.
“Tip never said, ‘you have to do this’ or ‘I want you to do this,’” said Alex.
But they did it.
The brothers are participating in the National Auto Dealers Association’s Dealer Academy that prepares future dealership leaders.
They had just returned from classes, where they took a special seminar on family succession planning.
“We felt we could have taught the course,” said Hampton.
Tip led the group for 30 years. It includes Duval Ford, Duval Honda, Duval Mazda at the Avenues, Duval Acura, Dana Safety Supply, Duval Motorcars, Duval Subaru, Tampa Honda Land, Countryside Ford, Countryside Mazda, Brandon Honda, Auto Credit, AutoLease, Commercial Landscape Solutions, Commercial Detail Solutions and Scott-McRae Advertising. Tip Graham also established the Scott-McRae Foundation and led environmental initiatves.
The brothers came into the business full time three years ago as the economy was starting its fall into a deep recession.
“It really was a great time to get into business. You want to learn what it takes to succeed in bad times,” said Alex.
“I figured I’d always have him to work with and learn the business from,” said Hampton of his dad. “If we had come in 2004-05, we would have had very different perceptions.”
“And very different views of what business was,” said Alex.
“It was a good time for learning. Not for business,” said Hampton. He said he wished he could have learned more of the business from his father.
The brothers said their father was a strong mentor and business coach, creating the structure for a successful management team and for a family business. They also said he was an active, involved father.
“In order to pass the family business along, you have to have a strong family,” said Hampton.
Asked if they’ve always enjoyed a strong relationship as brothers, Hampton said they went through some typical disagreements their early teenage years, but that they now complement each other.
“We took personality tests ... and complete the circle,” said Alex.
“We aren’t exactly two of a kind,” said Hampton.
“Hampton is technical. He would take apart vacuum cleaners and light fixtures. He once said ‘my favorite thing to read is manuals.’ He has an ability to see how things work” said Alex.
“Alex is a team builder. He was captain of his football team and president of his fraternity. I’m happy to have that,” said Hampton.
“And Hampton has an attention to detail I don’t have,” said Alex.
The brothers have experienced the business from many angles. Alex trained with Duval Honda, Duval Mazda and the Scott-McRae Group legal department. Hampton worked at Duval Ford and Duval Acura as part of his training.
”We worked at dealerships, IT, parts, selling cars, doing whatever needed to be done,” said Alex.
They learned a lot.
“In a family business, people are shy to work with you,” said Alex. “They are reluctant to tell you when you screw up. We were fortunate to have people tell us when we screw up.”
The brothers said they value the employees who’ve built the company and operate it. “It’s a very true statement that if you don’t treat your employees well, they won’t take care of your customers well,” said Alex.
One of the main lessons they’ve learned from the recession is flexibility.
“Always have the ability to adapt,” said Alex. “The businesses that survive will be those that adapt to a changing business environment.”
While they are still relatively new in leadership of the business, they’re prepared.
“It gets in the blood,” said Alex.
“I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it. Now I can’t get away,” said Hampton.
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