2009 EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENT

Fred Carl
Greenwood, Mississippi

A native of Greenwood, Fred Carl attended Mississippi State University and graduated from Delta State University. He is also a veteran of the United States Navy.

Carl is the founder, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Viking Range Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of upscale kitchen appliances for the home. The idea behind Viking Range began to form in Carl’s mind in the late 1970s. In 1980, when Carl and his wife, Margaret, discovered they could not purchase a commercial-style range for the new home they were building, the idea took flight. Carl set out to design a hybrid range that offered the performance of a commercial range with the safety features of residential appliances.

In the years that followed, Carl analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of commercial ranges and created conceptual drawings and specifications for his product. The range was subjected to extensive testing to gain certification from the American Gas Association. Carl named his company Viking Range and production of the world’s first commercial-type range for home use began in January 1987. Today, Viking products are sold throughout North America and in 80 countries around the world.

Under Carl’s leadership, Viking Range has renovated a number of buildings in Downtown Greenwood to house its operations. In 2001, Viking began renovating the historic Hotel Irving, now home to The Alluvian, a sophisticated boutique hotel that has won accolades from Condé Nast Traveler and earned the AAA 4-Diamond Award in 2007 and 2008. The Mississippi Heritage Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have recognized Viking’s commitment
to restoring Downtown Greenwood.

In 2003, Carl donated $2.5 million to endow the Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University. The center supports small town design, research and education. The center’s projects also serve as real-world teaching experiences for the university’s architecture students.

In 2006, Carl received one of only eleven American Spirit Awards presented by the U.S. Small Business Administration for his volunteerism and leadership in providing goods and services to areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005. He serves on the Advisory Boards of the Mississippi Blues Foundation, an affiliate of the Mississippi Blues Commission, the B.B. King Museum and Trustmark National Bank in Greenwood. He and Margaret have one son.