Founder
Leslie B. Lampton, businessman, philanthropist and founder of Ergon, the energy-based company he established in 1954. He died Tuesday, April 17, 2018, of natural causes at his home in Jackson, Mississippi. He was 92 years old.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, graduating from Ole Miss, and then serving again in the Navy during the Korean conflict, Lampton returned to his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, with a plan to enter the oil business. With the support of his bride, the former Dorothy Lee Crum, Lampton embarked on a business career spanning 64 years that would see him at the helm of Ergon, a diversified empire that provides jobs to over 4,200 employees in Mississippi, 29 other states, and several other countries. While other businesses were moving to Texas during the oil boom years, Lampton made a commitment to remain in Mississippi, his home state.
He was a friend to many, but he was most comfortable talking with his employees, the persons he acknowledged as the success behind Ergon. He had a knack for hiring good people. He supported his employees in taking risks necessary for businesses to succeed, whether entering new markets or developing new products. He always reminded the employees that it was not all about profits. Lampton believed that you had to enjoy what you were doing in order to be successful in life.
Lampton had a gift for remembering the names of his employees and knowing something about their families. He was generous and supported activities for the children of his employees, from establishing academic scholarships to buying Girl Scout cookies. He also supported worthwhile charitable organizations in the communities where Ergon has a presence. Countless medical, educational and religious organizations have been the beneficiaries of his altruism.
Lampton preferred not to seek any recognition for his charitable donations, telling others who wanted to use his name that he was just doing what the Lord asked all of us to do. Lampton was a member of the Catholic Church, and his faith was the guiding influence in his life.
