- Ole Miss School of Business
- Innovate.ms
- Mississippi Angel Network
- Miss. Small Business Development Center
- Transactional Law Clinic
- UM Foundation
- Insight Park
- Division of Technology Management
- Haley Barbour Center for Mfg. Excellence
- Mississippi Development Authority
- Mississippi Small Business Development Center
- Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce
- North Mississippi Enterprise Initiative (NMEI)
Regional Legacy Forum: Meridian
April 21-22, 2026 | MSU Riley Center | Meridian, MS
What happens when the handshake agreements that built a family business aren’t enough to sustain its future?
At the inaugural Regional Legacy Forum: Meridian we explored the complexities of succession through the lens of Magnolia Window Works – a hypothetical case study designed to mirror the real-world challenges faced by multi-generational family firms. Participants analyzed how the business faced a critical leadership talent gap and rising friction between active family members and passive investors. The sessions sparked vital conversations on how to support a rising generation eager for the formal contracts and professional structures that the founding generation never thought they’d need.
2026 Forum Focus: The Evolution of the Handshake
In Meridian, our sessions centered on the transition from traditional operational styles to modern professional standards.
Tuesday, April 21
4:00 – 6:00 PM | Legacy Circle Evening Reception | Meridian Coca-Cola Bottling Company
An exclusive opportunity to connect with fellow founders and leaders in an intimate setting before the forum begins.
Wednesday, April 22
8:45 AM | Check-In & Breakfast
9:30 AM | Opening Remarks | Hardy Graham, President at Meridian Coca-Cola Bottling Company
10:30 AM | Coffee Break
10:45 AM | Executive Panel moderated by Bill Hannah, President at East Mississippi Business Development Corporation
Panelists: Mike Castle Jr., President and CEO at CASTLE | Archie McDonnell Jr., President at Citizens National Banc Corp. | Tim Hogan, President at Mitchell Signs
11:30 AM | Legacy Lunch
12:45 PM | Marketing: Fact vs. Fiction | Dr. Allyn Cascio, Lake Tiak-O’Khata Family Business Member and Instructional Associate Professor of Management
1:30 PM | Estate Planning | Clark Luke, Tax and Business Attorney with Watkins & Eager
2:15 PM | Break
2:30 PM | Growth Panel | Jamie Holder, President and COO at Hol-Mac, and Jeffrey Holder, CFO at Hol-Mac; Moderated by Dr. Clay Dibrell, Co-Director if the CIE
3:15 PM | Case Study Wrap Up & Adjournment
Featured Case Study: Panes of Contention
Ray Beaumont built Magnolia Window Works, a $10M specialty window treatment company, on trust and a handshake. However, at 68, his “handshake culture” has become a liability: there is no written succession plan, no buy-sell agreement, and no employment contracts for key staff.
At 68, Ray has built a regional powerhouse, but he carries all the institutional knowledge in his head. With no written succession plan, no buy-sell agreements, and no formal contracts, the Beaumont family is operating on borrowed time. Our attendees acted as outside advisors to Ray, debating the best sequence of actions to save the business and the family.
Key Players:
- Ray (The Founder): The heartbeat of the company who hasn’t named a successor.
- Carter (VP of Sales & Ops): The high-performer who has earned the top seat but struggles with a dismissive management style.
- Derek (Director of Design): Creative and ambitious, but lacks the operational and financial literacy to lead.
- Lena (The Bookkeeper): The advocate for family governance and next-gen education who is often unheard.
- Trish (The Out-of-State Sibling): Has no interest in the day-to-day but holds an informal “equal share” that has never been legally defined.
The Tensions
- Reinvestment vs. Governance: Carter wants to spend capital on geographic growth, while Lena wants to invest in a Family Council and a formal Constitution.
- The Succession Vacuum: Carter has the track record; Derek has the drive. Ray’s silence is creating a rift between the brothers.
- The “Handshake” Liability: A $10M company cannot scale on memory and trust alone. Without written client and vendor contracts, the business is one dispute away from a legal crisis.
- Talent at Risk: Two veteran, non-family managers hold critical knowledge but have no employment contracts or clear path forward under the next generation.
- External Pressures: Derek’s upcoming engagement is introducing personal financial pressure that may soon begin to drive his business demands.
The Big Takeaway: A planning gap is not a strategy. The culture that builds a business can become its greatest liability if it isn’t professionalized before the founder exits the room.
