Marvin CEO Paul Marvin on committing to showing up and being present

Off the Record

Never miss an episode of Off the Record. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Paul Marvin is part of the fourth generation of his family to be involved with the eponymous family business. As the CEO and board chair of Warroad, Minnesota-based Marvin, he has learned a lot about building the highest-quality windows and doors over the years — but he’s also learned what’s equally important when it comes to a family business.

“To be a family business in perpetuity, which we aspire to be, you have to be a parent,” Marvin, who has six kids with his wife Maureen, says in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. “You have to show up. You have to run the business. But if you’re neglecting your duties of being a good parent, how are you raising the next generation to run the company?”

Listen to Marvin’s conversation with hosts Kathy Robideau, market president and publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, as they discuss:

• What’s special about growing up in a small town (3:35).
• The value of a liberal arts education (10:59).
• What it was like for Marvin to start his own business at age 23 (19:27).
• The rules for ownership succession in Marvin’s family business — and how he decided he was ready to be all in with the company (24:04).
• Being a “business-first” family rather than a “family-first” business (37:51).
• Qualities that made Marvin the right choice for CEO (40:07).
• How the company is innovating to help customers live better (48:05).

Leaders like Marvin understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.