Hammond Kennedy Whitney and Company Revenue and Competitors

HKW was founded in 1903 by Paul Hammond as a merchant bank for wealthy families. He directed the activities of HKW until after World War II. Paul Hammond had a distinguished business and naval career. He was one of a small group to serve as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War I and also World War II. He also worked closely with British Navy intelligence during World War II. He served on the boards of directors of several well-known Fortune 500 companies, including IBM and PerkinElmer. After World War II, Robert J. Kennedy joined HKW following a tenure in the Office of Mobilization. He developed HKW into a successful boutique merchant bank specializing in sell side engagements of manufacturing companies east of the Rocky Mountains. During its merchant banking period, HKW\'s blue-chip client base included Bell & Howell, Cox Enterprises, Fisher Scientific, Ingersoll-Rand Co., Keene Corporation, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, PerkinElmer, Raytheon and Texas Instruments. In 1971 Ralph R. Whitney, Jr., joined HKW. Roy pioneered HKW\'s expansion into the world of private equity in 1982, when HKW sponsored the management buy-out of Excel Industries, Inc. in Elkhart, Indiana. HKW ceased any merchant banking activities in 1990 to become the primary equity sponsor in management buy-outs. HKW does, however, provide its portfolio companies with merchant banking services, principally advice on mergers, acquisitions and financing.