"Build It Right" presented by Bill Sansom, Chairman & CEO, H.T. Hackney Co. 

"When you have an opportunity to build it, you build it right." That is the philosophy of Bill Sansom, who runs H.T. Hackney Co. and is responsible for shaping Tennessee and Knoxville for over 40 years in countless ways, many of which you most likely appreciate but may never realize was because of Sansom. That's one of the reasons why his friend and former boss Lamar Alexander said, "He's one of the most private public-spirited people I know." Companies have continued to partner with Sansom and H.T. Hackney for generations because of their unrelenting commitment to success, community, culture, faith, and values like doing business the right way.

Founded in 1891, H.T. Hackney Co. has been known for its century-old tradition of honorable dealing, insistence on integrity and reliability. Since taking the helm in 1983, Bill Sansom has built H.T. Hackney to be not only the largest private company in Knoxville (#156 in America according to Forbes) but also community conscious, proud of its roots, and motivated foremost to do a good job. With $5.9 billion in revenue, Hackney now employs 4,000 people and distributes 40,000 different products to over 20,000 retail locations in 21 states with trading partners, including General Mills, Kraft, Valvoline, Procter & Gamble, and Kellogg's.

In addition to his business success, he served our state as Commissioner of Transportation, Commissioner of Finance and Administration for Tennessee early in his career, and later as Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Perhaps his greatest contribution in the public arena to date would be creating the right conditions for TVA to be more responsive and fiscally sound.

Join us on August 13, as we count the cost of what it means to build a legacy of service and stewardship with one of Knoxville's most prominent businessmen. Bill will talk about his company, the importance of values and culture, his time in state government, community responsibility, his faith, and stewardship of time and talents.

Reserve your seat today! Your RSVP is kindly requested by August 9th to reserve your seat and meal.

Note: This is an in-person event with a full breakfast. To help us reserve the appropriate number of seats and food, please ensure your registration is firm. Thank you! 

Meet Our Speaker: Bill Sansom

William B. Sansom became the chairman and chief executive officer of the H.T. Hackney Co. in May 1983.  Founded in 1891, H.T. Hackney is a diversified company involved in wholesale grocery, including a potato chip company, gas and oil, and furniture manufacturing in 21 states with 4,000 employees. In May 2024, Hackney acquired Johnson & Galyon, a leader in general contracting and construction management in East Tennessee for 110 years.

Bill is a native of Johnson City and graduated from West High School in Knoxville. After high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and then attended The Citadel where he received a degree in Civil Engineering.

He joined American Limestone Company in 1964 as an engineer, then in 1974 served as president of American Limestone until being named as Commissioner of Transportation for the state of Tennessee in 1979. In July of 1981, Sansom was named as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Finance and Administration. In 1983, he left state government to become chairman and chief executive officer of H.T. Hackney. 

Bill has been active in many organizations. He served as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority, president of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Knoxville Community Development Corporation, president of Tennessee Business Roundtable, president of the Boy Scout’s Great Smoky Mountain Council and served for many years on the board of the Knoxville Zoo.  He has served as president of The Citadel Development Foundation and as a board member at Maryville College, Wake Forest University, and The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees for 16 years and Chairman for 12 years.  He has also served on other boards, including the Oak Ridge National Lab, National-American Wholesale Grocers’ Association, the National Crushed Stone Association, Astec Industries, Mid-America Apartment Communities, First Horizon Corporation Board, and the Martin Marietta Materials Board.

Bill and his wife, Elisabeth, are very active in their community and church, Cedar Springs Presbyterian. They have a daughter, Kathryn, who has four children and lives in Knoxville with her husband, Tommy Eggleston.

Coffee, full breakfast, and TLC served.