Charles M. Pigott, a Seattle industrialist who helped turn Paccar into one of the world’s leading makers of heavy trucks, died Jan. 21. He was 96. His life and career were closely tied to the history and success of the family business.
Pigott held leadership roles at Bellevue-based Paccar from 1961 to 2001. Bellevue — a large Seattle suburb to the east that serves as the region’s second business and technology hub and is home to many corporate headquarters — was the company’s base. Under Pigott’s leadership, the company made a strategic shift away from producing railcars and steel and toward a focus on its famous truck brands such as Kenworth and Peterbilt. The company was founded by his grandfather in 1905.
A modest man who avoided the spotlight, Charles Pigott nevertheless became a pillar of Seattle’s business community. He served on the boards of giants such as Boeing and the major insurance company Safeco, founded in Seattle in 1923 and long one of the region’s largest employers and philanthropists. He also sat on the board of The Seattle Times, the state’s leading daily newspaper founded in 1896 that helps shape public opinion across the Pacific Northwest. His influence extended well beyond his own company.
Paccar’s story began with the manufacture of railcars for Pacific Northwest loggers. After a period of expansion and the sale of a controlling stake, the company was bought back by Charles’s father, Paul Pigott, in 1934. He launched an aggressive recovery program, fulfilling, among other things, government steel contracts for the Grand Coulee Dam and tanks for the military.
Becoming president in 1965 and then CEO in 1967, Charles Pigott ultimately reoriented Paccar (the company adopted the Paccar name in 1972) toward heavy trucks. By 1984 that business accounted for 94% of sales. He oversaw major investments in technology and the expansion of international operations.
Under his leadership, which lasted until 1996, Paccar’s annual sales grew from $320 million to about $4.3 billion, with the company producing a profit every year. Analysts sometimes criticized its long-term growth-focused approach rather than an emphasis on quarterly results, but shareholders were satisfied.
The Pigott family was not only among the wealthiest in the region but also among its most generous. The Norcliffe Foundation, founded by Paul Pigott, is one of the region’s oldest private foundations and has traditionally supported key Seattle philanthropic areas: education, health care, the arts and social services. Charles and his mother Tillylin’s personal involvement also contributed to these causes.
Charles Pigott was an active supporter of the Republican Party and served as the finance chairman for presidential candidate John Connally’s 1980 campaign. He also deeply believed in the values of the Boy Scouts and served as national president of the Boy Scouts of America.
Charles Pigott’s legacy continues at the company. His son, Mark Pigott, served as Paccar’s CEO until 2014 and remains executive chairman of the board. Another son, John Pigott, also sits on the company’s board.
According to the funeral home, a private service was held Jan. 31. A public celebration of Charles Pigott’s life is scheduled for March 20 in Clyde Hill — a prestigious Bellevue suburb traditionally home to many successful entrepreneurs and top executives in the region. He is survived by his wife Yvonne, six children, 17 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
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