- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
John H. Bryan, Jr.
Sara Lee Corporation
1975 - 2000
Food & Tobacco
b. 1937
| Education |  |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Rhodes College |
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1937 |
| Birthplace | Mississippi (MS) |
| Race | White |
| Father | Owner, Large Business |
When Bryan took over Consolidated Foods, later renamed the Sara Lee Corporation, the company was a $2.5 billion dollar conglomerate. Bryan made significant acquisitions including the Hanes Corporation, which experienced a doubling of sales from $450 to $900 million. By 1987, Bryan had grown the company into a $9 billion dollar corporation and a $20 billion dollar global enterprise by 2000 with leading brands including Sara Lee, Hillshire Farm, Hanes, Coach and Playtex.