Here is a guy that defines the expression, the man in the middle.

Literally working between his dad and his uncle - separated by a glass and metal partition - for the past decade, he has heard and seen a lot about what they will not talk to him about.

After a presentation at a trade association people often come up, give me their card and ask me to call them. This time it was different.

The young man had a look of desperation when he asked me to call him that afternoon - before I left town.

As it happened, I was not flying out the next day, so when he asked me to stop by their plant I agreed.

Entering the building I located the secretary, who called him on the intercom. He asked her to send me back.

At the end of the hallway, I entered a pretty large room - with bookshelves along the walls that were full to the breaking point with manuals, parts catalogs, telephone, and cross directories.

This was the center of knowledge for the company.

The room was divided using those half-metal half-glass dividers, like we used to see in banks, sales bullpens, etc.

My guy was sitting in the middle one. I found out later that his dad occupied the one on his left and his uncle, the one on the right.

As I walked in (still wearing my trench coat) he stood up behind his desk. In his hand was a 3x5 card that he stuck in my face.

On it he had written, "Can't talk here - I'll give you a tour - We can go out for coffee." (I still have the card)

So I quickly suggested that while I had my coat on - would he give me the 10-cent tour of their place.

Once outside, he told me his problem.

Their industry had been pounded by foreign competition for the last decade. His siblings and his cousins had been convinced ("heck, we were all convinced") that they were doomed - so all of them left but him.

That was ten years ago and now the market for their products has changed.

Technologies, import tariffs, all sorts of things have changed. Some that they caused to happen, some they did not.

A lot of their domestic competitors had gone out of business during the bad times. They had purchased a couple of their competitors - those with valuable patents, etc.

Theirs was the company left standing in their industry.

So - what's the problem?

His dad had been talking with his older brother. Seems he has not exactly hit the jackpot in the hard cruel world - and wants to come back.

His uncle's son and daughter's husband have expressed an interest in the business as well. They are brining their kids to town for the holidays and he plans to talk about the business with them.

You see - being in those prehistoric cubicles allows the successor to hear his dad and his uncle talk to the folks who deserted the ship when they thought it was sinking, but who now feel they are entitled to a seat at the table.

Since he, his dad, and his uncle have been 100% focused on saving the company - no one considered the result they were creating.

After 10 years (out of the 15 he has worked there), the company has tripled in value.

There are no documents in place that give him any credit for the effort. His dad and his uncle still own the company.

They have said many times that, "someday all this will be yours" - but will it?