Jun 5, 2008Businessman J.R. Simplot, 99, Passes Away in Boise
J.R. Simplot, founder of the Idaho-based agricultural company of the same name, died May 25 at the age of 99.
Simplot first went into business at the age of 14 and started his first produce business at the age of 20. He built his first dehydrating plant in 1941, just in time to begin supplying the military with dehydrated potatoes during World War II. Also during the war, he started what is now Simplot Grower Solutions to help other farmers get the fertilizers they needed.
Those businesses continued to grow, as did other Simplot ventures. In the late 1960’s Simplot began processing fries for McDonald’s, a relationship that has continued for decades, including the addition of a fry plant in China to supply the fast-food chain’s global expansions.
Although he officially retired in 1973 and stepped down as chairman of the board of directors in 1994, he remained involved in the company and the potato industry. He even made an appearance at 2006 World Potato Congress in Boise during the opening gala sponsored by Simplot.
Simplot used his business expertise to start many businesses in agriculture and others, including Micron Technology – a computer chip manufacturer he helped start in 1980. His contributions to the potato industry are many, and he is noted helping convince Idaho potato growers to start using certified seed, supporting Idaho’s potato advertising efforts, donating money to many colleges and philanthropic organizations and treating the 10,000-plus employees right.
Simplot is survived by his wife of 36 years, two sons and a daughter, 18 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
