John Teets (chief executive officer)

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John William Teets, Jr. (September 15, 1933 - August 5, 2011), was an American, self-made businessman who rose to be the CEO of one of the nation's most successful Fortune 500 corporations, Greyhound Lines, Inc.[1] Recognizing that readjustment is vital for survival in a fast-paced world[2], Teets led the Greyhound conglomerate with 48,000 employees resulting in Greyhound’s diversification into one of the world's leading consumer goods and services companies[3].  He was a hands-on CEO who concentrated heavily on the bottom line.[4]

Military service and early career

John Teets grew up in Elgin, Illinois and began working at age 12.[5] He served in the United States Army during the Korean War.[6]  By age 25, he co-owned the Winter Garden Restaurant with Leonard Besinger[7], until it was destroyed in a fire in 1963.[8] From there and at the urging of a friend, John Teets joined the Greyhound Corporation in 1963 where he helped develop Greyhound's Post House Restaurant at the New York World's Fair[9].

Greyhound Corporation career

In 1965 John Teets became president of two Greyhound subsidiaries, Post House and Horne's Enterprises.  At age 32 he was the youngest subsidiary chief operation officer in Greyhound history.[10] In 1975, Teets became president and chief executive officer of Greyhound Food Management and group vice president of food service for the Greyhound Corporation.[11] The food service group grew 60 percent over the next four years and Teets became group vice president of services in 1980.[12]

John Teets was elected vice chairman and to the board of directors of the Greyhound Corporation in 1980, and soon became chairman and CEO of Armour & Company, then a Greyhound subsidiary[13]. In October 1981, John became CEO of the Greyhound Corporation and was elected chairman of the board in 1982.[14] In 1983 Armour & Company sold its meat processing business to ConAgra Inc.[15] but retained the Armour-Dial consumer products operation that would become known as The Dial Corporation.[16]  Dial was later divided into two independent, publicly traded entities - the Dial Corporation and the Viad Corp – in 1996.[17] Teets remained chairman of Viad Corp until he retired in 1997.[18]

Community Service and Philanthropy

John Teets focused his philanthropic legacy on the importance of family, community, the advancement of healthcare, and an unwavering commitment to academic excellence.  During his tenure at Dial, Dial contributed to charitable organizations.[19] As the general chairman of the Boys & Girls Club's 50th Anniversary Campaign in 1996, Teets helped raise millions in a 10-month period.[20] His efforts made possible the building of a new Boys & Girls Club in Avondale, Arizona, a scholarship fund, new computer labs and an endowment fund to ensure financial security for the Boys & Girls Club's programs and services.[21]

Through Greyhound’s investment, John Teets helped keep the NBA Phoenix Suns basketball team in Phoenix.[22]  During his tenure as CEO of Dial Corp., Dial sponsored the TV rights for the Phoenix Open (now known as the WM Phoenix Open) and became the first corporate investor of the Major League Baseball expansion team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.[23]  

In 1999, John Teets established the John W. Teets Outstanding Teaching Award to recognize student-nominated professors and teaching assistants as elite members of the academic community.[24]

A park in Phoenix, Arizona bears his name.[25]

Professional Affiliations

John Teets was a member of numerous business, professional and academic organizations, including the Business Roundtable, Conference Board and Presidents Association of the American Management Association.[26]

Public Policy

John Teets also promoted public policy issues within the State of Arizona including taking a leadership role in establishing a Victims' Rights Amendment to the Arizona Constitution in 1990.[27] The Amendment affords all victims of crimes the opportunity to have a participatory role in the criminal justice system.

Publications

Pursue Your Destiny (Trout Park Publishing, 2006)[28]

Profiles of Achievement, John Teets – Chairman (SyberVision Series, 1986)[29]

Personal life and death

John Teets had a lifelong interest in weightlifting and fitness.[30]  He was a 33 degree Mason[31]  and was conferred the Grand Cross of Masonry in 2001[32]. He was married to Nancy Teets.  He had four daughters and five grandchildren.[33]

He died on August 5, 2011 at his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.[34] He was 77 years old.

Awards and Recognition

• Trinity College, Doctor of Laws Honorary Degree, 1982[35]
• IFMA, Foodservice Operator Of The Year, Silver Plate Award And Golden Plate Award, 1980[36]
• The Wall Street Transcript[37], Silver Award – Diversified Multi-Industry Companies, 1985
• The Wall Street Transcript[38], Silver Award – Best Ceo Survey, 1985
• Leaders Magazine Award[39], CEO Of The Year, 1986
• Northwood Institute, Outstanding Business Leaders Award, 1988[40]
• Recipient Of The Officer Of The Royal Order Of The Crown[41], Brussels, Belgium, 1990
• Forbes Magazine[42], Top Business Speaker Of The Year, 1990
• Johnson & Wales University[43], Honorary Doctor of Business Administration In Food Service Management, 1991
• American Academy of Achievement, Captain of Achievement Award, 1991[44]
• Western International University[45], Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science, 1992
• Ellis Island Medal of Honor[46], 1995[47]
• Milton Friedman Transformational Leader Award, 2008[48]

References

[1] The Associated Press (Aug. 7, 2011). “John Teets, Dial and Greyhound Chief, Dies at 77”. The New York Times.

[2] Official website

[3] “John W. Teets Biography”. U-46.org.

[4] Official website

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbu5H1UUERA

[6] John W. Teets, Jr. obituary. (2011, August 9). The Arizona Republic.  

[7] https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/azcentral/name/john-teets-obituary?id=21319731  

[8] https://www.angelfire.com/chicagolandhistory/meadowdaleshopping.html

[9] http://www.nywf64.com/greyhound08.html

[10] https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2011/08/06/johnteetsdies.html

[11] Jones, Gareth R. http://strategy.sjsu.edu/www.stable/cases/Greyhound%20Dial.pdf

[12] http://strategy.sjsu.edu/www.stable/cases/Greyhound%20Dial.pdf

[13] http://strategy.sjsu.edu/www.stable/cases/Greyhound%20Dial.pdf

[14] Cuff, Daniel F. (Aug. 20, 1982). “Business People; Greyhound Elects a New Chairman”. The New York Times.

[15] Hollie, Pamela G. (June 30, 1983). “Greyhound Selling Armour”. The New York Times.

[16] https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/850998

[17] https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-08-15-9608160330-story.html; https://www.viad.com/investors/tax-basis-information/default.aspx

[18] https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/86/Viad-Corp.html

[19] Woodfill, D.S., Scott, Eugene, Lederhandler, Marty, and Jarman, Max (Aug. 7, 2011.  “John Teets, Former CEO of Greyhound and Dial, Dies at 77.”  Arizona Republic.

[20] Woodfill, D.S., Scott, Eugene, Lederhandler, Marty, and Jarman, Max (Aug. 7, 2011.  “John Teets, Former CEO of Greyhound and Dial, Dies at 77.”  Arizona Republic.

[21] Woodfill, D.S., Scott, Eugene, Lederhandler, Marty, and Jarman, Max (Aug. 7, 2011.  “John Teets, Former CEO of Greyhound and Dial, Dies at 77.”  Arizona Republic.

[22] Ruffner, J.S. (1999). “Phoenix Rising: Inside the Owner’s Box with Counsel to Jerry Colangelo.” Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law. Vol. 1, Issue 1, p. 75.

[23] https://www.kold.com/story/15223324/arizona-business-titan-dies-at-77/

[24] https://wpcarey.asu.edu/faculty-research/awards

[25] https://www.yelp.com/biz/john-w-teets-park-phoenix-2

[26] https://www.northwood.edu/obl/archives/1385_A

[27] https://books.google.com/books?id=qItdz5TdZqsC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=John+Teets+Victims%27+Rights+Amendment&source=bl&ots=HRYnz5iJfp&sig=ACfU3U2wBKktRf8-NXOqGtV7BTO53V79Cw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXx_i9w4L2AhWVoFsKHbRnDqwQ6AF6BAgtEAM#v=onepage&q=John%20Teets%20Victims'%20Rights%20Amendment&f=false

[28] https://www.amazon.com/Pursue-Your-Destiny-John-Teets/dp/0976916509

[29] https://www.amazon.com/John-Teets-Corporation-SyberVision-Achievement/dp/B07F7RRTBN

[30] John W. Teets, Jr. obituary. (2011, August 9). The Arizona Republic.  

[31] John W. Teets, Jr. obituary. (2011, August 9). The Arizona Republic.  

[32] https://la-mason.com/famous-masons/

[33] John W. Teets, Jr. obituary. (2011, August 9). The Arizona Republic.  

[34] The Associated Press (Aug. 7, 2011). “John Teets, Dial and Greyhound Chief, Dies at 77”. The New York Times.

[35] https://tls.edu/history/

[36] https://www.ifmaworld.com/ifma-media/4167/gsp-winners-list-2021.pdf

[37] https://www.twst.com

[38] https://www.twst.com

[39] https://www.leadersmag.com

[40] https://www.northwood.edu/obl/archives/category/1988+OBLs

[41] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Crown_(Belgium)#Recipients

[42] https://www.forbes.com/business/?sh=144076f5535f

[43] https://www.jwu.edu/index.html

[44] https://youtu.be/NpGmasXZQUs

[45] https://west.edu

[46] https://www.eihonors.org

[47] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1995-10-10/html/CREC-1995-10-10-pt1-PgS14942.htm

[48] https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/06/09/daily21.html