|
Born March 29, 1918, in Garden Grove, Iowa, Kenneth Churchill was sweeping docks as a janitor's helper at Churchill Truck Lines at the age of 10 and became President in 1960, an office which he still holds today. He was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Truck Lines, Inc. Kenneth attended grade school and high school in Meadville, Missouri, graduating in 1936. Upon graduation, he immediately entered into the trucking business under the guidance of his late father, Cliff Churchill.
Kenneth's strong
work ethic began on the farm and continued as he worked hard and long
beside his
Since 1936, Kenneth has been associated with Churchill Truck Lines, Inc., serving as Secretary-Treasurer from 1936 to 1960, President from 1960 to 1966; and Chairman of the Board and president from 1966 to the present. There was never a task too remedial, too mundane, too unimportant, or too dirty to do as he worked long and hard to grow a very successful business in a very tough, highly competitive industry. As president and chairman of the board, he arrived for work by 6:30 a.m. and rarely left before 7 p.m. Through the years, he touched business associates; employees; competitors; a variety of board members he served with on local, state, and national levels; friends; acquaintances; and family. His leadership and day-to-day operation of his company reached into 26 states with 100 terminals employing several hundreds of people. Receiving national, statewide, and regional recognition and awards, he was also committed to the community where he kept his company although many thought he should move his headquarters to the city.
SPECIAL NOTES OF INTEREST Recipient of the "Frank G. Campbell Award for Outstanding Service" in 1980. This award is given to an individual in Missouri for his/her distinguished record of service to the Transportation industry, the Missouri Motor Carriers Association, and his/her community. In 1986, he was named the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce "Business Person of the Year." BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
SERVICE ACTIVITIES
Submit comments or greetings to KFC
|
He married
Eugenia (Jean) Minnis in 1940. They have three children, Fred, Connie, and
Patricia, as well as David & Julie. Fred and Lois have one son, Mark;
Connie has three sons, Mike, Matt, and Luke; Patricia has one daughter,
Abby; David and Joe have three children, Donnie, Duke, and Neelie; and
Julie has two sons, Clint and Clay. There are currently 8
great-grandchildren. Even with such a large operation to manage every day, Kenneth
puts his family first. He and Jean enjoyed their trips to Colorado
Springs, Colorado, and trips to visit family and friends. Kenneth's
special interests include golf, fishing, and reading.
father and brothers. His father, Cliff, started the business as
an individual in 1926 before many gravel roads or concrete pavement
existed. He began the business with one Dodge straight truck hauling
livestock from the rural area to Kansas City, St. Joseph, and later
to St. Louis, and hauling feed, tankage, and vinegar in wooden barrels
back into the North Missouri area. All of this was prior to the state and
federal regulation of the trucking industry. In 1932, the Missouri
legislature passed laws to regulate motor carriers. In 1935, federal laws
were passed to regulate operations which were managed by the Interstate
Commerce Commission. CHTL was granted as a regular route with authority to
transport general commodities, as well as irregular routes between
Meadville, Missouri, and 10 miles radius and all points in Illinois, Iowa,
and Missouri. In later years, this authority proved quite helpful in
expanding operations into major cities. The company was incorporated in
1935 and was owned by Cliff Churchill, Mr. J.E. Creason, and Mr. John
Miller (all of Meadville). Later, both gentlemen sold their interest in
the company to Churchill. In 1936, ownership reverted to a family-owned
corporation, and Kenneth's mother became a stockholder and member of the
Board of Directors. In 1943, the company moved its general offices from
Meadville, Missouri, to Chillicothe, Missouri, purchasing all or parts of
numerous other carriers throughout the years.
His
quality of leadership and success in management may be seen by the
summarized list of achievements over his lifetime. This list was created
in 1992, which was 16 years ago... since that time, he continues to go to
work every day, continues to generously contribute to the community where
he lives, and continues to be admired wherever he goes.