When a glove is not just a work piece, but a family legacy

The world of family businesses is both special and challenging. Here, a colleague is not "just" a colleague, but a sibling, parent, child, or grandchild. This cohesion provides great strength but can easily blur the lines between work and private life.

In this post, we share how we navigate this balance, how we handle daily challenges, and what we've learned from three generations working together.

Three Generations

Glove making in Pécs has been alive in the city since 1861, and our family is a continuation of this tradition. In 1994, József Hornicz founded our manufactory to carry on the reputation of leather glove making. Since then, the business has been the result of three generations working together: our founder oversees the workshop, his son is responsible for logistics and leather procurement, his daughter manages company operations and sales, and his grandchild handles marketing.

What Family Provides

Trust, shared values, and flexible work organization are perhaps the greatest gifts such a business can offer. If someone has an urgent matter, we immediately cover for each other. There is no complicated hierarchy, decisions are made quickly, and everyone has a personal stake in success. It also helps that we all have a sports background: teamwork is in our blood, and this is felt as much in the workshop as in everyday life.

And What It Takes Away

The biggest challenge is that the lines between work and family life become blurred. It's not uncommon for dinner or weekend lunch to turn into a business meeting. It's difficult to switch off from work mode because responsibility is constantly present. Emotional attachment strengthens the team, but often complicates purely business decisions: it's easy to be more lenient with each other than necessary because we don't want to cause disappointment.

How We Seek Balance

Complete shutdown is rare, but we try to consciously dedicate time to rest. There are moments when work takes a back seat: during holidays, we agree not to talk about the workshop. Planning and conscious time management also help, but perhaps the most important thing is that everyone is aware of each other's burdens.

Generational Change

Leadership tasks are already in the hands of the second generation, but the first generation remains an active part of daily life. Knowledge transfer is continuous: we often train new employees with our own internal training. It's a joy to see how the ideas and perspectives of the younger generation bring new momentum.

What We Would Advise Others

Honest communication and setting boundaries are indispensable. The family atmosphere is a treasure, but it can only be maintained long-term if everyone has time to recharge and is not completely absorbed by work. Conscious planning of working hours and rest is not a luxury, but one of the foundations of success. We believe that family and business can function not at each other's expense, but by strengthening each other.

The true value of our business is not the product, but the story we write together every day.

If you would like such a piece, browse our women's and men's leather gloves.