The founding family of trucking empire PACCAR produces such recognisable brands as Kenworth, DAF and Peterbilt. William Pigott Sr. started the company in 1905 as Seattle Car Mfg. Co., a manufacturer of railway and logging equipment. After William sold control of the business in 1924, his son, Paul Pigott, regained a major stake ten years later. Along with his brother, William Jr., he led the company through a period of transformative renewal and expansion.
Charles Pigott, grandson of founder William, became the company’s Chief Executive Officer in 1967. Under his direction, PACCAR grew its annual sales to more than $4.3 billion and established it as one of the most successful industrial companies in North America.
Charles’s son, Mark Pigott, took over as Chief Executive Officer in 1997, representing the family’s fourth generation of company leaders. Mark Pigott’s focus on quality and innovation delivered the company J.D. Power and Associates Awards for customer satisfaction as well as International Truck of the Year Awards. He was named one of the top 50 global CEOs based on long-term shareholder returns in 2010 by the Harvard Business Review. Mark stepped down as CEO in 2013 but remains the company’s Executive Chairman and President of the PACCAR charitable foundation.
