When you think about the "American Dream," you probably picture a garage, a few cans of paint, and a whole lot of grit. That’s essentially the origin story of Duncan Enterprises. But honestly, most people get the details wrong or confuse the real-life Larry Duncan family business with the flashy, high-stakes drama seen on television. It’s easy to do.
If you've spent any time on BET+, you've seen L.C. Duncan and his family running Duncan Motors in The Family Business. It’s a great show. It’s also completely fictional, based on Carl Weber’s novels. The real Larry Duncan, the one who actually built a multi-generational empire, isn't dodging bullets or running an exotic car dealership in New York. He was busy dominating the global arts and crafts industry from a headquarters in Fresno, California.
The Garage That Built an Empire
Everything started in 1946 with Erma Duncan. She wasn't a corporate shark; she was an artist. She started teaching ceramics in her garage. This wasn't some grand strategic move to disrupt the market. It was a hobby that people were willing to pay for. Eventually, the demand got so high that her husband, Lee, and their sons, Bob and Dick, had to jump in.
Bob took the marketing. Dick did the engineering. Erma provided the soul. By the time Larry Duncan—Bob’s son—took over as President and CEO in 1983, the business had already evolved from a local studio into a legitimate force.
Larry didn't just maintain the status quo. He was aggressive. He looked at a company that was 100% focused on hobby ceramics and realized that if they didn't pivot, they were going to get left behind. He pushed the family business into fashion art, adhesives, and DIY crafts. If you’ve ever used a Tulip tie-dye kit or Aleene’s Tacky Glue, you’ve used a product born from Larry’s leadership.
Why the 2022 Sale Changed Everything
For decades, Duncan Enterprises was the gold standard for how to run a family business. They survived the transition from the first generation to the fourth. That is statistically rare. Most family businesses fail by the second generation, and almost none make it to the fourth.
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But in January 2022, things took a massive turn.
Larry Duncan and his son, Hawk, decided to sell the arts and crafts portion of the business—including the iconic iLoveToCreate brands—to the Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation (DKM). People in the industry were shocked. Why sell the crown jewels?
The reality is that "the family business" didn't disappear; it just changed its shape. Larry and Hawk kept the Duncan Enterprises name as a holding company. They pivoted away from manufacturing glues and glazes to focus on real estate management and investment.
Larry Duncan: What Most People Get Wrong
There is a common misconception that when a family sells its primary brand, it’s the end of the legacy. In Larry’s case, it was a strategic exit. By the time of the sale, the company had become a global leader in DIY color on fabric and temporary body art. They weren't selling a failing business; they were cashing out at the top of the market.
Kinda brilliant, if you think about it.
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It's also worth noting that the "Duncan family" name is often associated with the pipeline billionaires in Texas (the heirs of Dan Duncan). While that family is worth billions, they are a completely different lineage. The Larry Duncan family business is the Fresno-based craft empire. Mixing them up is a classic mistake for those looking into the genealogy of American wealth.
The Real Legacy of Duncan Enterprises
What makes Larry’s tenure so interesting is how he handled the "family" part of the business. His daughter, Summer Fawn, and his son, Hawk, were both integrated into the company early on. They weren't just given titles; they worked the lines and learned the guts of the operation.
Larry famously pushed for a "holistic" view of the business. He once said that they weren't just making ceramic glaze; they were responsible for the whole creative package. This meant investing in education, inspiration, and tools—not just the chemical goop in the bottle.
The Larry Duncan Family Business Strategy
If you’re looking to apply their success to your own venture, there are a few non-negotiable takeaways:
- Adapt or Die: In 1983, the company was all-in on ceramics. By 2022, ceramics were a tiny fraction of their revenue. Larry saw the "maker movement" coming decades before it was a hashtag.
- Succession is a Process, Not an Event: Hawk and Summer didn't just show up one day to run things. They were groomed through high school and college.
- Know When to Fold: Selling the craft brands to DKM wasn't a defeat. It was a realization that the next phase of the family's wealth wouldn't come from manufacturing, but from asset management.
Actionable Insights for Your Own Family Legacy
The Larry Duncan story proves that a family business doesn't have to stay in its original lane to stay successful. If you are currently running a family operation, consider these steps to ensure you don't become a statistic.
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First, perform a "relevance audit" on your core product every three years. If Erma Duncan had stayed in that garage only teaching classes, the company would have died in the 1950s. You have to be willing to kill your darlings.
Second, separate the family "identity" from the "industry." Larry Duncan is still a business leader, even though he no longer owns the tie-dye company. The legacy is the talent and the capital, not necessarily the product on the shelf.
Finally, look into professionalizing your board. Even as a family-run entity, the Duncans operated with a level of corporate discipline that made them attractive to massive investment firms like DKM.
Final Thoughts on the Duncan Journey
The real Larry Duncan family business is a masterclass in evolution. From a 1946 garage studio to a 2022 multi-million dollar exit, they navigated the messy waters of family dynamics and market shifts. They managed to stay out of the tabloids—unlike their fictional counterparts on BET—and focused on the long game.
Today, the family continues to manage their holdings and real estate interests. The crafts you see at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby might have a different owner now, but the fingerprints of Larry’s strategy are all over them. It’s a reminder that a true family business isn't about the name on the building; it's about the vision passed down through the bloodline.
To get started on your own legacy, your first step is to document your current operations and identify where the "tribal knowledge" lives. If your business depends entirely on one person’s memory, you don't have a family business—you have a job. Start creating a manual for the next generation today.