William Bowron
William Alfred Bowron (born September 7, 1920; died November 15, 2008) was president and CEO of Red Diamond Coffee and Tea.
Bowron was a graduate of the University of Virginia and a veteran of the Utah Beach landing in Normandy on D-Day (with the 51st Chemical Company), earning two bronze stars.
Bowron took over the family business, then known as the Donovan Coffee Company, in 1956. He favored innovation and expansion and oversaw the regional distributors expansion into wholesaling and national branding under the Red Diamond label. In 1991 he and his wife, Shila purchased controlling interest in the company to head off a takeover attempt. He was succeeded as CEO by his son, Bill Bowron, Jr.
Bowron was a founder of the Mountain Brook Exchange Club and served on the board of directors of the Industrial Health Council. He also served terms as president of the Southern Coffee Association and on the boards of the U. S. Tea Association and the National Coffee Association.
Bowron died in 2008 at the age of 87. He was survived by his wife, Shila, his three children, and six grandchildren. He is interred at Elmwood Cemetery.
References
- Thornton, William (November 16, 2008) "William Bowron, Red Diamond executive, dies." The Birmingham News
External links
- William Bowron at Findagrave.com