New book traces 100 years of a Pittsburgh family business

A Legacy: 100 Years in the Life of a Successful Family Business goes on sale Sept. 22 and follows four generations of the Ross family from Western Pennsylvania roots to Universal Electric Corporation’s global growth. The book frames the company’s history as a Pittsburgh story about entrepreneurship, succession, and values that endured through a century of change.

Why it matters: - The book turns a century of family-business history into a case study for entrepreneurs, family enterprises, and succession planning. - The Ross family story ties Pittsburgh’s industrial past to the technology-driven economy that followed. - The book centers on how multigenerational businesses survive leadership handoffs, economic shocks, and rapid change.

What happened: - A Legacy: 100 Years in the Life of a Successful Family Business becomes available beginning Sept. 22, 2026. - Joel Ross and Leeanne Seaver wrote the book. - The story follows the Ross family from the Allegheny Mountains and the Pittsburgh region to an international business. - The family business evolved into Universal Electric Corporation, known for Starline power distribution systems. - The book is available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The details: - The book covers four generations of the Ross family. - The family business faced the Great Depression, economic uncertainty, technological change, and succession challenges. - The company stayed rooted in values the release associates with Pittsburgh: hard work, ingenuity, resilience, loyalty, and commitment to family and community. - The business grew from a small local electrical company into an enterprise tied to computing, telecommunications, the internet, and data centers. - Joel Ross is a fourth-generation Ross family member and former leader of Universal Electric Corporation. - Leeanne Seaver worked with the Ross family to document the story and shape the book.

Between the lines: - The book is framed as more than a corporate history and more than a memoir. - The release positions the Ross family as part of a broader Pittsburgh tradition of builders, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and innovators. - The title’s focus on legacy signals an emphasis on continuity, stewardship, and values transfer, not just financial success. - The “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations” theme suggests the book is also meant as a practical warning about how family firms fail.

What's next: - Readers can buy the book starting Sept. 22, 2026. - The release positions the book for audiences interested in entrepreneurship, business leadership, and family succession. - Joel Ross said the book reflects a responsibility for each generation to leave something meaningful for the next.

The bottom line: - A Legacy uses one Pittsburgh family’s 100-year business arc to argue that lasting companies are built on values as much as growth.