Mapro: Sustaining a Family Run Business

Abstract:

The case ‘Mapro: Sustaining a Family Run Business’ is about Maharashtra, India-based food processing company, Mapro Foods (Mapro). The company was started in the 1950s by a pharmacist Kishore Vora, who, with the intention of helping the local farmers, started making jam with locally available strawberry. He soon started a food processing unit where jams and squashes were made from different fruits. Later on, Kishore Vora’s nephew took up the reins of the company and developed Mapro. As the company entered its third generation, it ventured into other products like chocolates and fruit-based jelly. The success of its fruit jelly brand ‘Falero’, along with growing competition from both domestic and MNC confectionery companies made the owners think about establishing a pan-India presence. They chose to bring in professionals into the key management roles to run the company, with the family not involving itself in day-to-day activities. The company also moved its headquarters to Mumbai and inducted a new sales team. This left analysts wondering what lay ahead for the company that till then, had been run as a closely managed family venture.

Issues: » How to guide a family businesses to be successful as it grows » The concept of “Entrepreneurship” by next generation family members » The process of moving the business from a family-run to a professionally-run organization. » The importance of innovation in products and rebranding in the family business » The measures to be taken to ensure the growth and continuity of a family business. Introduction On March 28, 2016, Mapro Foods (Mapro), Maharashtra, India-based manufacturer of jams, fruit beverage concentrates, crushes, squashes, and fruit bars, announced that it was in the process of launching its own brand of premium chocolates and was in talks with the world’s largest cocoa producers and grinders, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut. The company, which was headed and run by the family of the founder, Kishore Vora, also announced that it was opening an office in Mumbai, which would be run by professionals. According to Mayur Vora, (Mayur), Managing Director, Mapro, “We are setting in place a new team of seven members. From this we will choose a CEO. If the business has to grow, it has to be run by professionals.” This marked a shift for a quaint family-run company from Panchgani, near Mahabaleswar, Maharashtra, which till then had a limited presence across the country...

Key words:
Mapro,Family business,Growth of business,Entrepreneurship,Growth Management,Continuity,Transition to Professional management,Professional change

* This caselet is intended for use only in class discussions.
** More comprehensive case studies are priced at Rs.200 to Rs.700 (US $5 to US $16) per copy.