David Nathaniel, CEO of Ascot Capital is here to talk about operating Stanpro, Lumentruss, Aimlite, Beghelli’s Canadian branch, and Gabriel Scott brands.

He discusses what it means to keep up a diverse portfolio, his reputations for being hands-on and that has changed lately. He’s learned how to lead instead of just running his companies. We delve into what makes good business sense right now and his acquisition style with regard to transitioning with owner-operators – it is a bit different from Greg and Michael’s simple four point plan to running business – but it does make more sense from the outside.

The industry has gone from hunkering down to slashing and burning in terms of pricing and downsizing; and the larger economic situation of fragmentation and new protectionist measures combined with a new focus on residential lighting is really interesting to watch right now.