Watson H. Vanderploeg (1888–1957) was an American executive who served as the general manager and president of the Kellogg's from 1939 to 1957. [1]
Early life and education
Born in Iowa, Vanderploeg's early life involved farming, which later helped his work at Kellogg, where he was responsible for the production and distribution of corn-based breakfast cereals. [2] [3] He completed his education from the Central University Academy in Pella, Iowa. [2] Later, he was also admitted to the Iowa Bar, though he never practiced law. [2]
Career
Vanderploeg began his career in banking after graduation, becoming a messenger at a Pella bank. [2] He eventually acquired the bank, merged it with another, and managed the combined entity for six years before selling it. [2]
In 1924, the Iowa Banking Commission appointed him to handle the liquidation of five closed banks in Des Moines, a complex task that took six years to complete. [2] Following this, he moved to Chicago, where he became a vice president at the Harris Trust and Savings Bank. [2] [1]
In 1937, Will Keith Kellogg invited him to join the Kellogg Company's board of directors. [2] [4] In 1939, he was appointed as the president of the Kellogg. [2] [5] During his tenure, the company saw growth, with sales increasing from $34 million to over $200 million and earnings growing four-fold. [3] He oversaw international expansion, with the establishment of new plants in Australia and the United Kingdom, and the introduction of new products, such as Special K cereal in 1955. [3]
References
- ^ a b "Obituary for W. H. VANDERPLOEG (Aged 63)". Chicago Tribune. May 29, 1957. p. 18. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Watson Vanderploeg Dies at 68; President of Kellogg Company; Head of Cereal Concern Since 1939 Previously Had Been a Banker in Chicago". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c "Watson H. Vanderploeg – Leadership – Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Hunnicutt, Benjamin Kline (1992). "Kellogg's Six-Hour Day: A Capitalist Vision of Liberation through Managed Work Reduction". The Business History Review. 66 (3): 475–522. doi: 10.2307/3116979. JSTOR 3116979. Archived from the original on 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-15 – via JSTOR.
- ^ "Kellogg Company | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-27. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
 | This business-related biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |