614 - Growing a Family Business with Kaiden Routh

614 - Growing a Family Business with Kaiden Routh

From The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business. by Henry Lopez

July 21, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 614

About this episode

Kaiden Routh discusses his journey in transforming a family-owned equipment dealership into a scalable business.

How he earned his way into leadership, developed a capable management team, and transformed a hands-on family equipment dealership into a scalable business that no longer depends on him for every decision. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/614-kaiden-routh-growing-family-business/ How do you step into a multigenerational family business, earn the respect of employees and customers, and then change how the company operates without damaging its legacy? In this episode, Henry Lopez is joined by Kaiden Routh, CEO of Routh Sales and Rentals, a second-generation family-owned equipment dealership with locations in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Kaiden grew up around family businesses and initially considered pursuing a different career. When he eventually joined the family company, he was not immediately placed in charge. He worked at the parts counter, supported the service department, handled sales, and learned nearly every part of the operation. That experience helped Kaiden understand the business and earn credibility with employees. However, stepping into leadership created a different challenge: longtime customers and team members were accustomed to bypassing him and going…

People in this episode

Host: Henry Lopez

Guest: Kaiden Routh

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Routh Sales and Rentals

Places: Oklahoma, Arkansas

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