Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> December 15, 1997
BOBBY V. ABRAHAM is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Paragon Trade
Brands -- the leading supplier of store brand disposable diapers in
North America. Paragon Trade Brands is listed on the NYSE with
approximately $600MM in sales and $300MM in market capitalization. Mr.
Abraham has led the business since 1986 and in 1993 took the Company
public through an IPO by which Weyerhaeuser Company -- the prior owner -
- divested 100 percent of its ownership. Prior to his role as CEO and
Chairman of Paragon Trade Brands, Mr. Abraham held various executive
positions in Weyerhaeuser Company including President, Personal Care
Products; Vice President/General Manager, Personal Care Products;
Director of Corporate Planning; and Director of Operations Research in
his 26 years with Weyerhaeuser. During his leadership of the Personal
Care Products business, Mr. Abraham grew the business from $170MM in
sales in 1986 to approximately $600MM today -- from an 8 percent share
of the North American diaper market to a 20 percent share. Since
becoming public, he has expanded the Company's product line and
international scope to Mexico, Argentina and Brazil via joint ventures,
and to Asia and Europe via exports and strategic technology alliances.
In his prior role as Director of Corporate Planning, he directed
Weyerhaeuser Company's economic and industry research, investment
analysis and strategic planning activities. In this role, he directly
served the Company's top management in developing business and corporate
strategy and organization for every major Weyerhaeuser business
including its timber and land resources, wood products manufacturing and
distribution, and pulp and paper businesses. Mr. Abraham was born in
India in 1941. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Kerala, India and an MS in Industrial Engineering from
Stanford. Mr. Abraham's international background, analytical discipline
and diverse business exposure at a top management level give him unusual
depth and width of perspective. Profile
Brands, and tell us what that company is doing today.
Mr. Abraham: We're about $560 million in annual sales. Our
