Posted October 26, 2014
By Devin Steele (DSteele@eTextileCommunications.com)
GASTONIA, N.C. – W. Duke Kimbrell, who died last week at age 89, left an indelible, prodigious legacy on the U.S. and global textile industry.
Many colleagues and friends remembered the Parkdale Mills chairman as a true Southern gentleman who was tough but fair and always gracious and accommodating. Below are comments and recollections from many of those who knew Kimbrell. These industry leaders and representatives spoke exclusively to eTC about Kimbrell and his legacy.
Without question, Kimbrell was one of the world’s most influential textile leaders of the 20th century. He led Parkdale’s growth in the second half of the last century as it became the world’s largest spun-yarn manufacturer. And he spent nearly 72 years working with the company, even up until his final days.
Named after Duke Power Company where his father worked as an electrician, Kimbrell as a teenager started working part-time at Parkdale after school. After 18 missions over Europe during WWI in the Army Air Corps., he graduated from North Carolina State University while working at Parkdale Mills on school breaks and holidays. He soon joined the company full-time and worked in various capacities.
The Gastonia native was named vice president in 1961, when the company operated one plant with 200 employees producing just under 15 million pounds of yarn that produced annual sales of $11.5 million. He was named president and chairman in 1967.
The company grew and thrived under Kimbrell’s leadership and, today operates more than two dozen plants and has annual sales of nearly $1 billion.
Kimbrell has served as president of the American Yarn Spinners Association, as well as board director for the National Cotton Council and the American Textile Manufacturers Institute.
If you have a memory of or tribute to Mr. Kimbrell, please add your comments at the bottom of the page.
Industry leaders remember Duke Kimbrell
Duke Kimbrell was a giant in the textile industry. As an industry we benefited from decades of sage advice and guidance that was always given from the most humble position. Duke’s benevolence was incredible and backed up with true, far-reaching friendship, regardless of age. Duke was as competitive as any person could be, while always inquiring as to how you are and what was going on in your world. We will miss his keen since of humor, competitive nature and incredible leadership. What a friend to all of us.
Allen Gant Jr.
Chairman & CEO, Glen Raven, Inc.
Glen Raven, N.C.
Kimbrell has been honored with countless awards and honors throughout his lifetime, including:
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Gaston Gazette's Person of the Year
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Leader of the Year by Textile World
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ATMI's prestigious Samuel Slater Award
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NCSU's College of Textiles Distinguished Alumnus Award
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Boy Scouts Silver Beaver Award
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Honorary degree from UNC-Charlotte as a Doctor of Public Service
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Cotton Inc.'s Achievement Award
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Civitan Club's Man of the Year
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N.C. State University's Watauga Medal
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Southern Textile Association's Chapman Award
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The Cotton Hall of Fame
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N.C. 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award
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Textile World's Lifetime Achievement Award
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The National Cotton Council Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award
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Boy Scouts Golden Eagle Award
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Allen H. Sims Award by the Community Foundation of Gaston County
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North Carolina Business Hall of Fame.
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Rotary Internationals Paul Harris Fellow Award
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The Gaston Chamber of Commerce Spirit of the Carolinas Award
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The State of North Carolina's The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award
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Inductee, the American Textile Hall of Fame
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Honorary Doctorate, N.C. State University
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Leadership and Philanthropy Recognition by Gaston Day School
Honors and recognitions
Duke Kimbrell was a giant in the U.S. textile industry. His visionary leadership served to catapult the U.S. to its current position as the most efficient and highest-quality producer of yarn in the world. He will be greatly missed.
Auggie Tantillo
President, National Council of Textile Organizations
Washington, D.C.
There wasn’t but one Duke. He was a true leader. He was No. 1 in manufacturing of textiles, in my opinion. I knew Roger Milliken was a leader, but Duke was a different kind of leader. He’ll go down as No. 1 in my book. He was tough but he was also a kind. We sold him lots of cotton. As he grew his business, I grew mine. Good man, good man. When I think of Duke Kimbrell, I think “textiles.” That says it all.
Billy Dunavant
Chairman, Dunavant Enterprises
Memphis, Tenn.
… who knew Kimbrell for about 60 years
Photo courtesy Southern Textile News
It is been my honor to call him friend and neighbor. He has been a constant mentor, and like so many others, my career has been enriched by his steady and sincere support and guidance. He and Dot's commitment to family, friends, community, church and philanthropy is simply just exemplary.
Below is a card that Duke shared with me several years back. He believed every business person's obligation was to be on time. I think this was originally shared with him by Roger Milliken. It is something he would want to be remembered for.
Fred Jackson
President
American & Efird
Mount Holly, N.C.
Duke Kimbrell presents Jim Conner a captain's cap at Conner's retirement party. Conner was retiring as president of the American Yarn Spinners Association after many years of service in 2001.
Photo courtesy Southern Textile News
It’s sad that we’ve lost another great industry icon of the same caliber of Mr. (Roger) Milliken and my grandfather (James C. “Jim” Self). He’s probably the last of the great textile titans out there. It’s a great loss for the industry and the people of Gastonia and all the towns he operated in. His generosity reached across generations, as well as N.C. State, Gaston College and beyond.
Jay Self
President, Greenwood Mills
Greenwood, S.C.
N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson (L) with Ed Weisiger (C) and Duke Kimbrell at a recent Watauga Medal ceremony.
Mr. Kimbrell wrote a recommendation letter for me when I was in high school and seeking admission and scholarships to attend N.C. State. Many of our students and graduates have worked for and with Parkdale Mills. Mr. Kimbrell's name will live on in our college, as a very prominent area called the atrium is named after him. Furthermore, we have several scholarships that bear his, or his company's, name.
Kent Hester
Director of Student & Career Students
N.C. State University
Raleigh, N.C.
Duke Kimbrell received the 2012 National Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in 2012. Attending the award presentation ceremony in Gastonia, N.C. were (L-R) Derick S. Close, Suzanne T. Weiner, Duke Kimbrell, Chuck Horne and speaker Fisher Stines.
Duke was a true industry giant and worked diligently on behalf of all the industry. He was a great friend and mentor and will be missed.
Jim Chesnutt
Chairmen, President & CEO
National Spinning Co.
Washington, N.C.
Duke was one of the finest men if not the finest man I ever knew in the world of cotton. I’ve traded with Parkdale for about 40 years and it has always been a pleasure. Even as a young man, Duke always made me feel welcome and at ease anytime I was in his office. He was truly one of the last gentle giants of the “Greatest Generation.”
Meredith Allen
President & CEO
Staplecotn
Greenwood, Miss.
Duke Kimbrell was a member of the American Textile Hall of Fame's Class of 2005 in Lowell, Mass.
Duke was one of those rare people who truly changed history and improved the lives of millions of people. He has always been as deeply revered in our memories as he was in our lives. Love and thanks to all of his family, and especially to Pam (his daughter) and Andy (Warlick, his son-in-law).
Here is a story about Duke that always makes me smile:
Duke was well into his 70s and was still personally buying the cotton for Parkdale. He called me one day and we were trying to make a deal on 25,000 bales. I said we needed to get 25 on the cover month for the cotton, and he said all they were willing to pay was even the month. After a few jousts where we each explained why we were right but no one wanted to budge, he said, “I’ll tell you what – I’ll flip you for it, and I’ll even let you flip it and I’ll let you call it.”
I thought about it for a microsecond or two, realizing I was talking to Duke Kimbrell, said, “Mr. Kimbrell, you’re a lot smarter and a lot luckier man than me. All I have in my pocket is a piece of candy, and it’s the same on both sides. You go ahead and call it and flip it.”
“OK,” he said. “You know, I just got some carpet finally put in my office today after 35 years, so when I flip it, you aren’t going to hear it hit the floor and bounce. Let me see – all I have in my pocket is a penny, so I’m going to flip the penny and call it heads.”
After a few seconds, he said, “I hate to tell you this, but it’s heads, so we’ll book it at even.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kimbrell. Weil Brothers really appreciates the business.”
When I got his contract, instead of signing it on the signature line, I put the tails side of a penny underneath the paper and rubbed a pencil across the top so my signature was tails. Every contract I signed with him after that was signed the same way.
Andy and I laughed about that on a hunt one day, imagining Duke going home that night and having a conversation with Dot.
“How was your day, honey?”
“Well, Dot, it was pretty boring until some idiot from Alabama called up and flipped me a penny for $31,500! It got a little better after that!”
Wally Darnielle
President & CEO, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association
Lubbock, Texas
Duke was a great man and will be missed. He was a terrific director (from 1978-2005) for Inman Mills. He was a tough but fair man. He was a gentleman, too. He helped us through some tough times and he contributed tremendously to our success.
Robert H. Chapman III
Chairman and CEO
Inman Mills
Inman, S.C.
Mr. Kimbrell is a legend in the industry. We will remember him for his entrepreneurship, leadership in the industry and community, dedication to quality, and of course much appreciated support of our business and growth in numerous ways. Above all, he was a good person.
Michel Schmidlin
Chief Operating Officer
Conitex Sonoco
Gastonia, N.C.
Photo courtesy Southern Textile News
Photo courtesy Southern Textile News
W. Duke Kimbrell’s funeral was a great summation of his life and legendary contribution to our industry and this community. There are myriad examples of his leadership around all of us, but his personal commitment, management and decades-long stewardship of the North Carolina Textiles Foundation leaves a $40 million vehicle that will benefit students of and through our industry for years to come.
Derick Close
CEO
Springs Creative Products
Rock Hill, S.C.
If you have a memory of or tribute to Mr. Kimbrell, please add your comments here.
Gaston County, the state of North Carolina and the textile industry as a whole have lost a true titan with the passing of Parkdale Mills Chairman Duke Kimbrell.
From sweeping the floors at a mill while in high school, to eventually taking over the very same company, Mr. Kimbrell grew Parkdale Mills into one of the world’s preeminent textile companies in his over 70 years with the company. He embodied the American Dream, where hard work, intelligence and dogged perseverance are well rewarded.
A World War II veteran who attended N.C. State University on the GI Bill, Mr. Kimbrell was a philanthropic giant and proud lifelong Gastonia resident who will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family as they mourn his passing.
U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry (N.C.-10)