Jack Laughery
Encyclopedia
Jack Laughery was an American restaurant investor and consultant, the former CEO and chairman of the Hardee's
restaurant chain.
In 1961 Jack Laughery left his successful insurance practice to join the Sandy's
restaurant chain. In 1967 he was appointed president of Sandy's by the founder of the company, Gust E. "Brick" Lundberg
. In 1971 Sandy's merged with Hardee's (a chain begun by Laughery's friend Leonard Rawls). Laughery was named executive vice president of operations of the new expanded Hardee's Food Systems Inc. A year later he was appointed president and chief operating officer, and in 1975 he was named CEO. Under Laughery's leadership, Hardee's introduced the "Big Twin" sandwich, Made-From-Scratch biscuits, the highly successful California Raisins promotion, and acquired the Burger Chef
chain. Laughery expanded the company's presence from 750 restaurants to 3,300 restaurants in 42 states and nine countries, and when he stepped down as CEO in 1990, Hardee's sales of $4.1 billion made it the third largest QSR hamburger chain in the world.
From 1990 until his retirement in 1994, Mr. Laughery remained Chairman of Hardee's and a board member of Imasco Ltd., Hardee's parent company at the time. In 1993 he was made a Director of Papa John's International
in Louisville
. Mr. Laughery also served on the boards of directors of several investment corporations.
Two scholarships were set up in Laughery's name: The Jack Laughery Scholarship Fund through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in Chicago
and The Helen and Jack Laughery Honorary Scholarship Endowment at Nash Community College
in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
.
Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
restaurant chain.
In 1961 Jack Laughery left his successful insurance practice to join the Sandy's
Sandy's
Sandy's was the name of a chain of fast-food restaurants begun in 1956 by four business men from Kewanee, Illinois: Gus "Brick" Lundberg, Robert C. Wenger, Paul White and W. K. Davidson.-Beginnings:...
restaurant chain. In 1967 he was appointed president of Sandy's by the founder of the company, Gust E. "Brick" Lundberg
Gust E. Lundberg
Gust E. "Brick" Lundberg was the founder of the Sandy's fast-food restaurant chain and Laureate of the American National Business Hall of Fame.-Background:...
. In 1971 Sandy's merged with Hardee's (a chain begun by Laughery's friend Leonard Rawls). Laughery was named executive vice president of operations of the new expanded Hardee's Food Systems Inc. A year later he was appointed president and chief operating officer, and in 1975 he was named CEO. Under Laughery's leadership, Hardee's introduced the "Big Twin" sandwich, Made-From-Scratch biscuits, the highly successful California Raisins promotion, and acquired the Burger Chef
Burger Chef
Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The chain expanded throughout the United States, and at its peak, was second only to McDonald's in the number of locations nationwide...
chain. Laughery expanded the company's presence from 750 restaurants to 3,300 restaurants in 42 states and nine countries, and when he stepped down as CEO in 1990, Hardee's sales of $4.1 billion made it the third largest QSR hamburger chain in the world.
From 1990 until his retirement in 1994, Mr. Laughery remained Chairman of Hardee's and a board member of Imasco Ltd., Hardee's parent company at the time. In 1993 he was made a Director of Papa John's International
Papa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"...
in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Mr. Laughery also served on the boards of directors of several investment corporations.
Two scholarships were set up in Laughery's name: The Jack Laughery Scholarship Fund through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and The Helen and Jack Laughery Honorary Scholarship Endowment at Nash Community College
Nash Community College
-External links:*...
in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Rocky Mount is an All-America City Award-winning city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plains of the state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1867, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of...
.
- The downfall of any company has rarely, if ever, been the result of a lack of financial resources...Downfall has occurred when there has been an inability to coordinate a group of motivated people and a reluctance to give them long enough tethers to innovate and take risks in the development of products and services. -- Jack Laughery, 19 Oct 1987 http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n43_v21/ai_6064761