James Kuse: Engineering Hall of Fame - 1999

Having spent a few years with the Army and Union Carbide, Jim Kuse started as an industrial chemical salesman at Georgia Pacific in 1967. After successful management of several divisions, he became Vice President of the Chemical Division in 1976. In two years, he was named Senior Vice President, building the unit's sales to over one-third of the corporation's revenues. He then acquired a majority of the chemical assets of Georgia Pacific Corporation in 1984 and formed Georgia Gulf Corporation, whose total capitalization has grown from $248 million to about $2 billion. Mr. Kuse is Founding Chairman of the Board and retired President/CEO of Georgia Gulf Corporation. He initiated funding of the Kuse Professorship in the Chemical Engineering Department in 1997.