CEO of Texas Industries Inc. Named to 2002 Texas Business Hall of Fame

Business Wire, August 2, 2002

Business Editors

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 2, 2002

Robert D. (Bob) Rogers, chief executive officer of Texas Industries Inc., one of the nation's leading suppliers of building materials, has been selected for induction into the 2002 Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Rogers is one of five Texas business legends who will be honored and officially inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame at the foundation's annual dinner Wednesday, October 16, 2002 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas.

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, The Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation honors members of the state's business community whose visions and careers have helped to place Texas at the forefront of the 21st century economy. Additionally, the foundation will honor 14 graduate students working towards their master's degrees in business administration at Texas colleges and universities, awarding each a $5,000 scholarship.

Previous inductees of the Texas Business Hall of Fame have included former President George Bush; Gen. Robert McDermott, former chairman and CEO of USAA; former Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr.; Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computer Corporation; and Ed Whitacre, Jr., chairman and CEO of SBC Communications Inc. Other Dallasites who have received this honor are former Texas Governor William P. Clements; Ross Perot, former chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems (EDS); and Roger Staubach, CEO of Staubach Companies. Among the initial year's inductees into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1983 was Rogers' father-in-law, J. Erik Jonsson, former Mayor of Dallas and co-founder of Texas Instruments.

"This year's honorees exemplify leadership and a commitment to excellence," said Del Williams, chairman of the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation. "It is with admiration and an appreciation for their respective accomplishments that we welcome them into the Texas Business Hall of Fame."

Rogers Honored for Achievement in Business and Community Service

Born in Hartford, Conn., in 1936, Rogers earned a degree in economics from Yale University graduating in 1958, and in 1962 received his masters of business administration with high distinction from Harvard University. In 1961, he was named a first-year Baker Scholar. Between degrees, Rogers served a two-year tour of duty as a U.S. Naval Officer.

Prior to joining Texas Industries Inc. (TXI), the company founded in 1951 by his father, Ralph Rogers, Rogers gained experience at the George A. Fuller Company and the Oklahoma Cement Company. In 1963 he joined TXI in general management of the company's European operations, followed by the positions of vice president of finance (1964 to 1968) and vice president of operations (1968 to 1970). In 1970, Rogers assumed the presidency of TXI. By that time, the company was already a multimillion-dollar presence in the cement industry.

Under Rogers' leadership the company focused on consolidating its position in the marketplace, selling off non-core operations. Existing facilities were enhanced and new plants constructed, including the creation of Chaparral Steel Company. In 1974, as the nation slid into recession, TXI not only survived, it actually enjoyed increased earnings as the markets it served were the fast-growing metropolitan areas in the Southwest. Recognition followed success. Fortune magazine in 1980 ranked TXI 21st among the 1,000 largest manufacturing companies and in 1984, recognized Chaparral Steel as one of the ten best managed, most efficient factories in the United States.

The successes, however, were fleeting as TXI was ravaged by the Texas recession of 1985 - 1990. Rogers was determined to prevent TXI from being subject to the whims of the construction industry. In 1990, he boldly promised that that would be the last year the company would endure a loss. Embracing the then new management concept of empowerment, Rogers challenged his employees to approach each business day with an entrepreneurial spirit.

What followed was a series of innovations, efficiencies and inventions. A philosophy of "resource recovery," utilizing the full potential of existing resources has resulted in patented technological innovations that will serve as significant sources of additional income for TXI. The turnaround was remarkable as revenues increased 60 percent from 1993 to 1997 and by 1998 topped $1 billion annually.

Rogers demonstrates his passion for innovation and education outside of TXI as well. A founding member of the Association of American Entrepreneurs, he also serves as an executive board member of the SMU Cox School of Business and as a member and former vice chairman of the British-North American Committee. He has served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce and as a director of the American Business Conference.

Fellow Texas Business Hall of Fame Honorees

Rogers' fellow inductees into the Texas Business Hall of Fame are:

-- Robert J. (Bob) Allison, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Houston, Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, a world leader among independent oil and gas exploration and production companies.

-- Louis A. Beecherl, Jr., of Dallas, Texas, former chairman and chief executive office of Texas Oil & Gas Corporation.

-- William E. (Bill) Greehey, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Valero Energy Corporation, headquartered in San Antonio, one of the nation's largest independent refining and marketing companies.

-- Lee William (Bill) McNutt, Jr., of Corsicana, Texas, retired president and chairman of Collin Street Bakery, the largest manufacturer of fruitcake, shipping annually to over 196 countries.