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On 25 September 2026, the Walbusch Group from Solingen announced the completion of its generational change: Thomas Busch (88) has transferred his remaining shares to his son Christian Busch (54), who now holds all the shares. The date is unspectacular, and that is where the lesson lies. A good succession is not an event. It is a path. An example of the Law of Legacy.
A life’s work
Situation
Walter Busch founded the company in Solingen in 1934. His son Thomas led it from 1976 to 2008. During this time, revenue grew from 10 million Deutschmarks to 320 million euros, the workforce from 45 to 800 employees. Today the brands Walbusch, Mey & Edlich and Avena belong to the group, which employs more than 1,000 people.
Link to the law
The greater the life’s work, the harder it is to let go. The Law of Legacy says: a leader’s lasting value shows in what remains when they leave.
First hand over the leadership
Situation
In 2008, Thomas Busch withdrew from operational management and moved to the advisory board. He was 70 years old at the time and the company was successful.
Link to the law
The first step of leaving a legacy is to make room while you can do so from a position of strength. Those who only leave when they have to hand over an emergency.
Then the ownership, in stages
Situation
In 2014, Christian Busch received 70 percent of the shares. In 2016, he took over the leadership of the group. In 2026, the remaining 30 percent followed.
Link to the law
The stages give both sides security. The successor can grow into the role and prove himself, the one handing over can build trust. The Law of Empowerment is also at work here: responsibility is transferred before the last remnant of control is given up.
Letting the successor go his own way
Situation
Christian Busch leads the company differently from his father. The catalogue business is losing importance, and the customer base has also gone through a generational change. The group is therefore relying on online marketplaces, shop-in-shop partnerships and its own stores: Mey & Edlich has opened its first store in Cologne, and one for Walbusch is planned in the Netherlands for spring 2027.
Link to the law
Leaving a legacy does not mean preserving your own model. A legacy lives when the successor is allowed to change it. The complete transfer of the shares is the visible sign of this.
The last step
Situation
With the transfer of September 2026, ownership and leadership are in one hand.
Link to the law
A succession is only complete when nothing is left open. Clear arrangements protect the company and the family.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
- Start the succession while you are strong.
- Plan it as a path in stages, not as a single cut-off date.
- Transfer responsibility before you give up control completely.
- Let your successor lead differently from you.
- Bring the handover to an end and create clear arrangements.
Summary
At Walbusch, 18 years lie between the withdrawal from management and the last transfer of shares. During this time, first the leadership and then, step by step, the ownership passed to the next generation. This is what the Law of Legacy looks like in a family business: patient, staged and completed.
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