KFC says goodbye to a legend. To All of the Harman Friends, Partners and Employees: It is with extreme sadness that we share with you the heartbreaking news that our beloved founder, Leon W. “Pete” Harman, passed away early this morning. The entire KFC system joins the Harman organization in extending our deepest condolences to Pete’s son and daughter, Barry and Dawn, and their families. Words will never be able to describe the depth of our appreciation to the family for sharing Pete’s life with all of us. Simply put, neither the Harman system nor the KFC brand would exist as we know them today without Pete’s selfless leadership, commitment, or passion. While Pete always felt that he’d lived a blessed life, his life started with hardship as his mother passed away shortly after his birth. Taken in and raised by his widowed Aunt Carrie, Pete credited her for supporting his entrepreneurial ideas and shaping his life. Remarkably, the simple values and principles that he learned at a young age about thrift, honor, integrity, and charity are the same principles and values that he lived throughout his entire life. His career in the restaurant industry spanned over 80 years. Starting as a teenage busboy in San Francisco, he learned the business from the ground up before acquiring his own restaurant in Salt Lake City, UT. It was only after his good friend, Colonel Harland Sanders, prepared a fried chicken dinner for Pete and Arline that Pete decided to add the chicken entrée to his restaurant’s menu. That seemingly small decision is now recognized as the birth of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Pete was known throughout the KFC system as an innovator. His vision of “to go” meals revolutionized the restaurant industry when he packed 14 pieces of chicken, 5 biscuits, and a pint of gravy in a bucket for busy families to take home. He was one of the founders of the original KFC National Purchasing Co-op which provided bulk pricing advantages to all franchisees, regardless of size. Of all of Pete’s ideas, however, he was most proud of the ownership model that he created throughout the Harman system. His unique system has allowed management teams to own significant interests in the restaurants that they manage and share a piece of the profits that they generate. It didn’t matter who Pete worked with, they were always in business together…to make each other successful. His relationships with service providers and product vendors were always more than “what can you do for me” deals. Pete believed in, and practiced “win-win” arrangements decades before anyone ever uttered the words “win-win.” He always believed that the people working in the Harman System weren’t his employees, they were his partners, and they were owners. Recognized with MUFSO’s Pioneer of the Year award, Restaurant Business Magazine’s Company of the Year, IFMA’s Gold Plate Award, and numerous other honors, Pete, his career, and his company has been decorated with virtually every award and recognition that is bestowed in the restaurant industry. Despite his success, Pete never forgot where or how he started, or the people that helped make his career successful. Upon entering restaurants, he was known for immediately walking into the kitchen to talk to the cooks. His belief that everyone’s job is important and his genuine interest in others is what endeared him to all who were privileged to work with him. “Money is only as good as what you do with it” was one of Pete’s favorite sayings, and he practiced what he preached. Despite never finishing high school, Pete has always been an ardent supporter of higher education. Because of his desire to play a part in helping people help themselves, he established trust funds over the last three decades that have provided scholarships for thousands of needy college students. He donated artwork, constructed buildings, and contributed to the development of entrepreneurship programs on different campuses around the country. In his constant quest to support “good causes”, he’s been instrumental in supporting research at children’s hospitals where he was also known for providing periodic KFC dinners to the patients and staff. One of the greatest gifts that a man can make in his lifetime is to prepare his survivors for the time that he will no longer be with them. Pete had the foresight to not only prepare his family for the future, but to also prepare the entire Harman system. His ability to select and develop a team allowed him to put the leaders in place years ago that will guide Harman’s for the next generation. We’re most grateful though, that he also had the discipline to step back and let those leaders gain the experience to run Harman’s while he was still available as a mentor. Pete had a goal of Harman’s being run the same way, by the same people, the day after he was gone as it did the day before. Even though his goal will be achieved, Pete will still be missed, and missed tremendously. There’s never been a day when we didn’t look forward to his office visits, and his genuine expressions of love and friendship. Please take a moment today to join us as we reflect on the greatness of our founder and offer a word of thanks for all that he’s contributed to our lives. We’re all better people because we’ve known him. To a bright future because of Pete, James D. Olson, CEO Harman Management Corporation
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 21:00:56 +0000
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