4 Lessons Learned While Planning a Family Business Transition
February 19, 2026 
(Left to right): Nathan, Lisa, Kendall, and Andrew Campbell. | Danville Gardens
If you own a family business, it’s never too early to start thinking about whether you plan to sell or pass it on to the next generation. While that message has appeared many times in the pages of Greenhouse Grower® Magazine, it’s now hitting home for Lisa and Nathan Campbell, owners of Danville Gardens in Danville, IL, as they begin planning for the future of their business.
A Reminder From the Previous Generation
The Campbells purchased Danville Gardens, located between Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, from the previous owners, Walter and Mildred Ahrens, in 1993.
“When I look back, one of the things I remember is that the Ahrens were 80 years old when we bought Danville Gardens from them,” says Lisa Campbell. “If we hadn’t purchased it, they were planning to close the business at the end of that spring.”
That memory resurfaced at Cultivate’22, when Campbell attended a presentation by Chris Cimaglio of BEST Human Capital on the importance of having a future plan in place.
“I told my husband Nathan we needed to meet with their team,” Campbell says. “He told me he wasn’t ready to retire, and I said I wasn’t either, but I also didn’t want to end up in the situation the Ahrens were in.”
Since that meeting, the Campbells have developed a plan that will eventually allow them to pass the business on to their daughter, Kendall, and son-in-law, Andrew. While the transition is still in its very early stages, it has already produced valuable lessons.
Lesson 1: Ask Again — and Don’t Make Assumptions
When the Campbells first asked Kendall and their son, Caleb, whether they were interested in eventually taking over the business, the answer was no. Kendall had recently married and settled into a new home in Missouri, while Caleb was finishing college. At that point, the Campbells assumed that when the time came, Danville Gardens would once again be sold to a third party.
When Lisa Campbell shared this assumption with Cimaglio, he suggested asking again — and then asking again. Not to press the issue, but because circumstances can change over time.
So, what changed in the meantime? Two things. First, Kendall began reflecting on her time growing up in the nursery, and the nostalgia was strong. Second, the initial hesitation turned out to be a simple miscommunication.
“My daughter said she didn’t think Nathan and I wanted her to come back to Danville,” Campbell says. “But we were thinking more about the city of Danville, which had gone through some tough years losing key businesses, and Kendall thought we were talking about our company, Danville Gardens.”
Lesson 2: Start Early — But Move Slowly
Kendall and Andrew did not immediately step into leadership roles at Danville Gardens. Kendall began by helping manage the retail side of the business while also working on inventory and social media. Meanwhile, Andrew — who had no prior greenhouse experience — began shadowing Nathan, the head grower at Danville Gardens.
“Last fall, they replaced about 70,000 square feet of polycarbonate and added a retractable roof,” Campbell says. “Andrew is getting great experience, and that poly should last for several more years. We’ll likely be gone the next time it needs to be replaced, and he’ll know how to do it.”
Lesson 3: Prioritize Open Communication
This lesson was evident from the beginning and remains essential, whether communicating with family members or with the broader team. For Lisa and Nathan Campbell, that also meant making sure they were aligned with each other.
“One of the things we did early on with Chris Cimaglio was an owner-centricity quiz to understand how tightly we were tied to the business,” Campbell says. “I assumed that as the grower, Nathan would have a harder time stepping away, but it turned out to be the opposite.”
Since then, the Campbells have made a point of being transparent about the company’s future, including conversations with their management team and staff.
“We met with our core team because we didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, and we made it clear there would be no immediate changes in leadership,” Campbell says. “Kendall and Andrew were simply joining the team — not coming in to tell people what to do. That immediately put our staff at ease, and it’s been great for everyone.”
Lesson 4: Stay Open to New Ideas — and Learning Along the Way
This is a lesson that applies to both generations.
“We talked early with Kendall and Andrew about ideas they had for growing the business, and some of them were very different from ours,” Campbell says. “We were able to talk through them, and while we still have the final say, at least for now, we tried some of their ideas this past fall, and they worked out well.”
At the same time, some of the ideas raised were ones Lisa and Nathan had tried in the past with limited success.
“The most important thing is that we were able to talk through each idea as a family and as a business,” Campbell says. “Sometimes business conversations within a family can be awkward, but we wanted to maintain an open dialogue. We’re only at the beginning of this transition, but so far, things are going well.”
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