Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century
John R. Kimberly
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
1953–1967
1953–1967
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
1953–1967
1953–1967
- Industry: Wood, Paper & Forestry
- Era: 1950
After a short political career, Kimberly rejoined the family business as a sales executive and helped grow revenues to $153 million by 1952. His best work, however, came during his tenure as CEO, when he encouraged a wealth of expansion and research that helped revolutionize the paper industry. During this time, Kimberly-Clark became a leading developer of such products as disposable clothing, bedding and cleaning products. By the end of Kimberly’s tenure, the firm had over 80 plants in 28 different countries, and earned revenues of over $700 million.
Education / Military
- Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology