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How the Ferraris Kept a Family Business Alive Through Five Wars
Description
In episode 93 of Family Business Stories with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how Italy's Ferrari family—unrelated to the carmaker—built and preserved a luxury textile mill through five wars, two world depressions, and the rise of fast fashion. The episode zeroes in on one specific decision in 1954: when third-generation owner Umberto Ferrari turned down a contract from a rising American mass-retailer to focus on high-end woollens for Italian tailoring houses. That bet kept the mill alive when cheaper competition flooded the market. We walk through the succession mechanics, the role of the 'family charter' drafted in 1921, and how the fifth generation is navigating the sustainability pivot today. A masterclass in patient capital and values-based governance.