Christian Saurman: Triples the Size of the Family Business

They say a goldfish will grow commensurate to the size of its fish bowl; if you want it to get bigger, then give it more space. So after Christian Saurman joined his father's orthodontic laboratory—then with 12 employees—he told him, "Dad, all you've got to do is give me a bigger fishbowl. I just need room to grow."

Eleven years later, the lab employs 35 people and, in 2009 moved into a new 7,000-sq-ft fishbowl...er laboratory.

"From the time I was bagging plaster at six years old, I knew I wanted to work with my father," says Christian, who earned a degree in computer information systems and marketing before joining the lab in 2001. However, Christian didn't just jump in at the top; his father, Bill, employed the strategy of the United Parcel Service—which makes executives work their way through the ranks—and started Christian in the trenches, cleaning the lab and answering telephones.

Although Christian spent time in every department...