Employees at Onex Inc., an industrial furnace manufacturer in Erie, Pa., always looked forward to hearing about the company’s latest developments, both immediate and long-term, at weekly meetings.

The husband and wife team now running Onex, Drew and Ashleigh Walters, lead those meetings. Drew held a 20% stake as vice president since 2012, and Ashleigh ran day-to-day operations as general manager since 2013. In 2018, Drew and Ashleigh acquired a majority, controlling interest in Onex from Drew’s father. Despite these changes at the top, employees had come to rely on the couple’s leadership style.