Forward planning is essential in business. You may have a great team today with in-depth product knowledge and close ties to customers, but what happens should team members retire or move on? For Valve World Americas, Jason Welsford (president and part owner of the Welsford Company and ValveMan) kindly shares his experiences on planning for the future.
By Jason Welsford, President and Part Owner – Welsford Company and ValveMan
Planning for Success(ion)
When I joined the business, I walked into a company that ran like a well-oiled machine. I felt a mix of excitement, awe, and a bit of nervousness. This was a team with decades of experience and deep relationships, and I didn’t want to let them down.
They knew every customer by name, remembered every spec without needing to look it up. They made this place what it is.
Many of those same people are now nearing retirement. While no one wants to see them go, the reality is that we need to start preparing, not just to fill their shoes, but to build something even better. Our goal isn’t to replace what we had piece by piece. It’s to honor it, learn from it, and create the best team and systems to serve customers in a modern, scalable way. We’re building something stronger for the future: expanding our reach so that a broader market can experience our valve expertise and customer service, while strengthening vendor relationships and creating livelihoods in the communities we serve.
I’ve come to appreciate both the legacy and the weight of succession, knowing that if I lead well, the fourth generation will one day face the same choices I did. My dad never pushed us into the business. However, it was the spark in his eyes every time he solved a tough customer challenge is what drew me in. His quiet passion is what inspired me to carry this legacy forward. This isn’t about grooming the next Welsford leader. It’s about building a company they’d be proud to work at — if they choose to.
I also want to acknowledge how important my father, Gil Welsford Sr., has been in shaping my journey. When I joined the business, he mentored me, showed me how things worked, and passed on what made this company special. When the time came, he stepped back and trusted me to lead. That trust gave me the confidence to grow into the role and carry the legacy forward.
Succession isn’t just about continuity; it’s about unlocking potential. As Dave Ramsey puts it:
“Succession is not a moment, it’s a process. The current leader walks hand-in-hand with the next one for a season, transferring knowledge, influence, and finally, ownership. It’s not quitting, it’s responsible stewardship.”
That resonates deeply with me. In our business, a last name doesn’t guarantee a seat. You have to earn it, just like everyone else.
Present Objectives
I’m Jason Welsford, president and part owner of the Welsford Company and ValveMan, together known as the FSW Group. Over the past 60+ years, we’ve grown from a regional valve distributor into a company with two complementary brands, each rooted in the same values but built for different needs.
- Welsford Company leverages six decades of trusted relationships to deliver engineered process solutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic. We focus on B2B sales through a consultative approach grounded in technical expertise and deep customer partnerships.
- ValveMan, our national eCommerce distributor, was born from that same legacy and our strong manufacturing relationships. It serves customers across the country by solving valve and system challenges quickly and reliably, without compromising on quality or support.
We’re a family-owned business, and we intend to stay that way. But our approach to succession goes far beyond our last name. It lives in the culture we build and the mindset we instill in every team member who joins us.
Rethinking the Next 60 Years
As I thought more seriously about succession, I found myself, almost subconsciously, looking for team members who reminded me of those who came before me. People with grit, curiosity, humility, and care. I was drawn to those who didn’t just want a job, they wanted to do things the right way, they wanted to do the best they could. But over time, it became clear that I couldn’t just repeat what had worked in the past. I had to leverage the past and reimagine the future.
That brought a mix of clarity and responsibility. I didn’t want to lead by clinging to tradition or chasing trends. I wanted to build something that honored what came before while making room for what comes next. I had to ask: how do I evolve the business without losing its soul?
My answer has been to take a more holistic approach to customer service and build for where the customer is headed. The strategies that carried us through the past six decades won’t carry us through the next without change. While we may not have investor backing, I believe our responsiveness, technical strength, and customer-first mindset offer a level of support that’s hard to match.
I’ve also come to view our manufacturing partners as true allies. Whether it’s co-hosting training sessions, aligning on outreach, or planning vertical growth strategies, these partnerships are essential to how we serve. The trust we’ve built over the last 60 years is a foundation I take seriously and plan to grow from.
What I Have Learned About Succession
Here are a few lessons that have shaped how I think about succession planning:
1. Hire for Grit, Train for Skill
You can teach valves, but you can’t teach values. You can’t teach character and drive. Our best hires are people who want to win, not just for themselves, but for the team and the customer. We use structured interviews, trial tasks, and honest conversations to find people who are both capable and aligned with our values.
2. Mentorship is the Bridge Between Generations
We pair new team members with experienced veterans to ensure knowledge is passed on in real time. That means shadowing, co-owning accounts, and giving junior reps invaluable hands-on experience early.
The real difference-maker is our culture. Senior team members want the next generation to succeed. They take pride in coaching. Those nearing retirement aren’t just looking to leave a legacy, they want to pass it on the right way.
Our goal isn’t to replace what we had piece by piece. It’s to honor it, learn from it, and create the best team and systems to serve customers in a modern, scalable way.
Every week, our senior team leads live technical training rooted in real-world applications. These are recorded and cataloged so tribal knowledge becomes shared knowledge.
3. Let Others Shape the Future
Some of the best decisions I’ve made have come from letting others lead. When people are trusted to launch a new process or shape culture, the company gets stronger.
One example: a sales manager recently launched a team-led book club on EntreLeadership, focusing on ownership – not just of results, but of territory and customer experience. It’s driving motivation and success across the team, and I couldn’t have done it better myself.
4. Document What Matters
You don’t always know when someone will leave. That’s why we’ve prioritized documenting key processes across sales and operations. Standard operating procedures (SOPs), training videos, and account transition plans ensure continuity no matter what happens.
5. It is Not a One-Day Handoff
Succession is a process. We start early, build overlap, and work to get the right people in the right seats before we need to.
Modernizing Without Losing the Soul
Yes, we’ve adopted new tools like CRMs, real-time dashboards, and eCommerce, but never at the expense of what makes us who we are. We use technology where it adds value, not where it replaces human insight. At the end of the day, our systems support us. But our people and processes define and elevate us.
Final Thought: Start Sooner Than You Think
If your business is humming, that’s the best time to plan for succession.
Start documenting what works. Build your bench. Assign stretch projects. Make sure no one is a sole repository of critical knowledge. Create growth paths and make sure the right people are in the right seats before a transition is needed. Succession isn’t just about keeping things running, it’s about unlocking potential. If you’re thinking about a future exit, it’s worth noting that businesses with strong succession plans command stronger valuations. Buyers pay more for companies that don’t fall apart when someone steps away.