FBCG Guides Wesco Through Governance Updates and Succession

Nancy Westgate-Sytsema got an early start building the skills she would need for her career as a CPA and, later, as co-president of her family’s business.

Nancy, Jerry, and JJ Westgate made a pact: they would sell the business before they’d let it damage the family. That commitment shaped every decision that followed.

“When Nancy was a little girl, she would go trick or treating and come home and make a spreadsheet of how much candy she got, sorted by size and type,” recalls Jerry Westgate, her father.

Today Nancy and her brother, JJ Westgate, are co-presidents of Wesco, a Michigan-based chain of more than 50 gas stations and convenience stores known for their fresh donuts.

“The Wesco fuel and convenience stores are just a delight to go into: They’re clean, they’re orderly, and they have good food,” says Joe Schmieder of The Family Business Consulting Group.

The business is complex, involving transporting fuel, managing real estate and getting fresh food to each store every day. And Jerry is proud of how his son and daughter are managing it.

“They’re selling more product and fuel that I ever was able to,” Jerry observes. “The company is growing. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Read more at https://www.thefbcg.com/resource/managing-business-for-family-harmony-wesco/