“It gets back to just being good business to invest in your community. And I think community development is everyone’s job. And the local employers, I think, have a responsibility to contribute to that.”
Fred Carl, Jr. is a native of Greenwood, Mississippi. In 1984 Carl incorporated Viking Range Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of upscale kitchen appliances for the home, and served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company until his retirement in January 2013. Prior to founding Viking, Carl was a fourth generation building contractor, having been a design/build general contractor throughout his entire adult career.
In 2002, Carl was named Man of the Year by the Greenwood Commonwealth. The Mississippi Legislature honored Carl in 2004 with a concurrent resolution commending his career and civic contributions. In 2006, Carl was awarded one of only eleven national American Spirit Awards by the Small Business Administration for his volunteerism and leadership in providing goods and services to areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005. In 2009, Mississippi State University bestowed on Carl an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Carl attended Mississippi State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. He also attended graduate school in City Planning at the University of Mississippi. He is a U.S. Navy Vietnam-era veteran, where he served as a search and rescue helicopter air crewman.
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