Making Character First

Making Character First is the turn-around story of Kimray, Inc, a premier manufacturer of oil and gas equipment and controls with over $200 million in annual sales. It is also Tom Hill s personal story of the founding and development of Character First®, including a step-by-step guide for transforming the culture of any organization to one of character. With tough economic times for businesses worldwide, highly visible ethics violations in major corporations, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and a flat business world, the character of every individual, beginning with the top leaders, may be the most important and challenging issue facing organizations today. Until now, organizations have focused on ethics training with little or no success. As leaders we must do more than ethics training. Every major business with ethics violations appears to have two common elements: 1) an ethics manual including an active compliance program, and 2) a leader or leaders who fostered or participated in unethical conduct. Why were ethics violations committed in spite of ethics training? Ethical conduct can be motivated by fear of prosecution or by individual character. Compliance officers cannot police every organization, and greed can be stronger than fear. But individual character demands the right response even when no one will ever know. Therefore, the most effective ethics program teaches, inspires, and requires good character from every individual, beginning at the top. Making Character First demonstrates through the story of Kimray how any organization can develop a culture of character. This culture not only fosters ethical decisions at all levels within the organization, but it is just plain good business. The universal nature of this simple idea is collaborated by results from organizations around the world. Kimray (with its Character First emphasis) is one of 14 businesses highlighted in a recent PBS documentary by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch, Doing Virtuous Business. This film illustrates how organizations with a culture of character exhibit growth, profitability, and contribute positively to the local community and the world. Character First® began at Kimray with a desire to help all employees be successful. Since all lasting achievement is rooted in good character, encouraging and building good character helps individuals and families reach their full potential. Successful families lead to successful businesses, communities, and even countries. Since its inception in 1992, thousands of businesses, school districts, government agencies, prisons, and communities in the United States and over 28 foreign countries have implemented Character First®, for personal growth. Making Character First details Kimray s transformation to a culture of character and how making character first can improve all organizations by providing a solid foundation for an effective ethics program. It is written in an enjoyable, conversational style that is an easy read yet provides a clear roadmap for individual character development for families and business.

Tom Hill is the Chairman of the Board of Kimray, Inc., a manufacturer of oilfield equipment and controls. Tom began his career at Kimray in 1971 after seven years in the United States Marine Corps including a tour in Viet Nam as a Radar Intercept Officer in F4-B Phantom jets and then earning a B.S.E.E. from Oklahoma State University. Upon graduation from Oklahoma State University he received the St. Pat s Award, the highest honorary recognition in the College of Engineering, and the Outstanding Electrical Engineer Award. Tom is the Founder and Chairman of Character First ® and the Character Training Institute, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing materials and training for families, schools, businesses, and other organizations interested in building good character. He is a regularly invited speaker on character and ethics in business. Character First® began at Kimray with a desire to help all employees be successful. Since all lasting achievement is rooted in good character, encouraging and building good character helps individuals and families reach their full potential. Successful families lead to successful businesses, communities, and even countries. Since its inception in 1992, thousands of businesses, school districts, and communities in the United States and over twenty-seven foreign countries have implemented this new paradigm for personal growth. Tom has served as trustee or board member for the Character Council of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist University, the Institute in Basic Life Principles, Scope Ministries International, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Fellowship of Companies for Christ International, and Oklahoma City YMCA. Tom currently serves as a Board Member of the Academy of Leadership and Liberty, Novo Ministries, Metro Tech Foundation, and Founding Board Member of S.A.L.L.T. Academy. Tom was named the Oklahoma Central Baptist Association Christian Citizen of the Year in 1998, received the CBMC Salt and Light Award in 2002, and a Honorary Doctor of Laws from Oklahoma Christian University in 2005. In 2008 Tom received the Great Patriot award from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge and the Valir Health Community Award. In 2009 Tom received the George Washington Award from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge. Tom and his wife Kay are active members of Western Hills Church in Oklahoma City. They have been married since 1963, and have three married children and twenty grandchildren.