Wesley E. Cantrell

Wes Cantrell, a Georgia native who was born during the Great Depression in 1935, was the son of a Baptist minister and teacher who moved his family often. "Whenever my father was asked to pastor a church, he would get a second job at the local school as a teacher or principal," Cantrell says. "He always had to have both. He couldn't fully support our family otherwise." In fact, Cantrell's father often was paid in the form of chickens, vegetables, and even syrup in lieu of his pastor's salary. Cantrell's mother was also a teacher.

During his youth, Cantrell lived in seven homes, one not much more than a shack. He recalls how excited the family was when indoor plumbing and, later, electricity were installed. Cantrell says that although his family's existence was meager, it was full of love and faith. "My father lived exactly like he talked," he says. "He wasn't one kind of man at home and then a different man on Sunday. The greatest advantage I had growing up was the strong principled life we lived each day." Honesty, integrity, and working hard against the odds were the most important values in the Cantrell household.

One of Cantrell's first jobs was contracting with his father to dig the ditches needed to install plumbing in their house. In the sixth grade, he worked for 35 cents an hour doing inventory for the local general store; within a year, he had two paper routes. With each work experience, he learned more and more about running a successful business. By the time he was 14, Cantrell had his own checking account and paid for his own clothing and other expenses.

Throughout high school, Cantrell worked seasonally as a chicken catcher, grabbing chickens that were ready for processing and putting them into crates for shipment. In the summers, he worked as an order picker for a drug store, making $29 a week. Cantrell says that his enterprise was partly a result of being poor, but that he also knew he wanted a better life. His bedroom was next to the kitchen, so on most mornings, he could hear his parents discussing bills and their worries about never having enough money.

Cantrell was a highly competitive student. In seventh grade, his teacher arranged her class so that the student with the highest marks sat in the first seat and the student with the lowest sat in the last. He worked hard to always be in the first seat. After graduating from Hiram High School as valedictorian, Cantrell joined the U.S. Naval Reserves, which required weekly duty throughout the year, plus two weeks of active duty each summer for eight years.

In 1953, Cantrell enrolled in Georgia's Southern Technical Institute, using his naval salary to help pay the tuition. He was in a hurry to finish his education, and he attended school full time for two years. In June 1955, he graduated with highest honors as an electronics technician.

A summer job working for Lanier, a dealer and distributor of office equipment, turned into a permanent position in sales and service. For the next 22 years, Cantrell rose up the ranks of Lanier. He became a district sales manager in 1962 and was made a vice president in 1966. He joined the board of directors of Oxford Industries, Lanier's parent company at the time. In 1977, he was named president of Lanier Business Products. He bought Lanier in 1983, and he became president of Harris/Lanier.

When Harris joined 3M Document Products in 1987, Cantrell became president and CEO. In 1989, he became president and CEO of Lanier Worldwide, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Harris. He went on to serve as chairman and CEO of Lanier Worldwide, which was spun off from Harris in 1999 and which was acquired by Ricoh Americas Corp. in 2007.

When asked about his success in business and in life, Cantrell says he is guided by his Christian faith, particularly the Biblical verse that says, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." Cantrell believes concept that to be the central purpose of his life. As a young man, Cantrell, who defines himself as a Christian and a deeply spiritual person, began teaching and working with young people through his church affiliation. His advice to youth is to adopt Biblical principles that govern daily life. "Diligence, honesty, hard work, commitment to family, ethics, honesty, integrity, loyalty, those are the values that give meaning to life," he says.

Cantrell calls his Horatio Alger Award a "cherished honor" and says he is especially impressed with the Association's scholarship programs. "When I came out of high school, there were no scholarships available, and it would have been such a help to me. I am glad that I am now part of an organization that helps young people with their education. I am a lifelong learner, and I think it is commendable that this organization is giving deserving young people the chance to continue their growth."