In the high-stakes world of West Texas oil booms, Taylor Sheridan’s Landman delivers more than just drama. It serves as a cautionary tale for real-world industrial businesses, especially when it comes to industrial company succession planning. Season 2 opens with the aftermath of oil tycoon Monty Miller’s sudden death, throwing his empire into chaos. With no solid succession plan in place, his widow Cami steps in while facing grief, legal battles, and operational breakdowns. Even worse, the absence of a proactive marketing strategy leaves the company exposed to competitors, causing a rapid loss in stakeholder confidence and sharks circling the water.
The chaos depicted in Landman is not unique to oil and gas. Manufacturing plants, retail giants, chemical processors, heavy equipment makers, construction firms, mining operations, and utilities all face the same brutal reality: when a founder or long-time CEO exits without a plan, everything built over decades can unravel in weeks. Industrial company succession planning is not just about naming the next leader. It is about protecting operations, talent, financial value, and market position across every capital-intensive sector. This article draws broader lessons from Landman while applying them to the full spectrum of industrial businesses, with special emphasis on succession planning in oil and gas, industrial, manufacturing, chemicals, and heavy industry, plus B2B marketing during leadership transitions.
1. The Perils of Poor Industrial Succession Planning
Monty’s empire in Landman runs on his personal charisma and deal-making skill, but his sudden death reveals a critical flaw: no designated successor and no transition roadmap. Family conflicts explode, operations grind to a halt, and major opportunities disappear.
Every industrial sector sees versions of this story play out:
- In manufacturing, 60% of privately held firms are family-owned and most have no documented succession plan (National Association of Manufacturers, 2024).
- In chemicals and refining, retiring baby-boomer executives are leaving at a rate of 10-15% per year with too few qualified replacements (American Chemistry Council).
- In mining and aggregates, private equity buyers walk away from deals when they discover no management bench exists below the founder.
- In heavy construction and equipment rental, key-man risk routinely slashes valuations by 20-40% during ownership transfers.
The consequences cut across all industrial verticals:
- Leadership vacuum that stalls bidding on new projects, delays plant turnarounds, or freezes capital allocation
- Talent flight as skilled engineers, plant managers, and salespeople jump to more stable competitors
- Valuation destruction in M&A or family transfers because buyers discount companies without proven next-layer leadership
Succession planning in oil and gas gets extra attention because of volatile commodity prices, but the core risks are identical in manufacturing, chemicals, utilities, and construction. Deloitte reports that although 86% of industrial leaders call succession urgent, only 13% believe their organizations execute it well. The retirement wave is sector-wide: from refinery operators to CNC machinists to underground miners, the median age of skilled workers now exceeds 55.
What every industrial company needs:
- Start grooming successors 5-10 years in advance through structured talent reviews and cross-functional rotations
- Build a documented plan covering roles, timelines, legal structures (wills, trusts, buy-sell agreements), and emergency interim leadership
- Test the plan with phased retirements, sabbaticals, or “acting” assignments so gaps surface early
- Address the industry-wide skills cliff by pairing junior leaders with veterans now, regardless of whether your assets are wells, factories, fleets, utilities, or mines
Strong industrial company succession planning protects decades of investment no matter what kind of heavy asset sits on your balance sheet.
2. Why Marketing Is Essential During Industrial Leadership Transitions
In Season 2 of Landman, the company’s brand is threatened while chaos reigns. With no crisis communication plan, rumors spread unchecked, bankers hesitate, and competitors circle. A strong marketing foundation could have preserved trust and visibility across the entire value chain.
Industrial sectors of every stripe routinely under-invest in marketing until a transition exposes the weakness. B2B marketing during leadership transitions becomes the difference between a minor blip and a death spiral.
Why it matters in any industrial vertical:
- Preserves decades of brand equity when a founder or long-time CEO departs
- Prevents competitors from poaching key accounts while internal attention turns inward
- Keeps lenders, sureties, suppliers, and employees confident instead of anxious
Key strategies that work for oilfield services, chemical manufacturers, equipment dealers, and construction firms alike:
- Own the narrative with keyword-optimized digital properties that rank for terms like “heavy equipment rental companies near me”, “chemical suppliers”, or “largest commercial mechanical contractors dallas” (or hire out the best industrial marketing firm to do so for you)
- Maintain active thought-leadership content (case studies, safety records, project wins) that runs on autopilot during turmoil
- Deploy crisis-ready PR playbooks with pre-approved messaging for every scenario: planned retirement, sudden illness, or unexpected departure
- Equip sales teams with refreshed collateral and automated nurture campaigns so revenue momentum never stalls
- Monitor share of voice, web traffic, and RFP volume weekly to catch perception shifts early
Whether you are drilling wells or installing industrial HVACs, the playbook is the same: proactive B2B marketing during leadership transitions turns potential vulnerability into a story of continuity and strength.
3. How to Integrate Succession Planning and Marketing for Long-Term Industrial Success
The deepest lesson from Landman applies far beyond the patch: succession planning and marketing are not separate silos. They are two sides of the same resilience coin.
Industrial companies that treat them together win:
- Announce leadership changes on your terms with polished content that highlights bench strength and vision
- Train successors on brand strategy, customer relationships, and market positioning just as rigorously as operations and finance
- Turn generational knowledge into campaigns that attract younger engineers, operators, and managers who want to join a company with a future
- Convert what competitors see as weakness into proof of institutional stability
Companies that integrate industrial company succession planning with strategic marketing see higher valuations, smoother ownership transfers, and stronger competitive moats, whether they operate in oil and gas, discrete manufacturing, process industries, or infrastructure.
The Bold Entity Edge
At Bold Entity, we have guided second- and third-generation industrial businesses across oil and gas, manufacturing, chemicals, construction, engineering, logistics and distribution, metal recycling, and heavy equipment through brand realignments and leadership transitions for over 15 years. Our tailored PR, branding, and sales-enablement strategies ensure your company not only survives but thrives following a leadership change. It emerges stronger and more valuable.
Ready to future-proof your industrial business, no matter the sector? Contact Bold Entity today for a free succession marketing audit.Bold Entity is a Clutch-verified, award-winning B2B marketing agency specializing in industrial and niche B2B markets. We help companies build bulletproof brands, attract top talent, and drive consistent revenue growth, regardless of who sits in the corner office.
