We are often asked how the Laird Norton family has been able to accomplish the difficult task of keeping the business and family together for 150 years and counting. As the old saying goes, its shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations – so it truly is astonishing how the Laird Norton family is on its seventh generation of wealth. If you are a bit of a history buff and interested in learning about multigenerational wealth preservation, we recommend you read an editorial by Mary Rowland called “Preserving the Bloodline” in the February edition of Financial Advisor magazine. Mary does a wonderful job telling the Laird Norton family’s story, which began in 1855 when two brothers and their cousin decided to go into the lumber business. Although the family has long since diversified its business away from lumber and into other industries, wealth management being one of them, they preserve their legacy by “learning a way of doing business that reflects family values.”