Atmos Energy 2013 Annual Report Download - page 6

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 6 of the 2013 Atmos Energy annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 36

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36

CHARLES VAUGHAN:
Establishing growth
and independence
With grit and determination, Charles K. Vaughan bootstrapped Atmos Energy from a small
West Texas natural gas utility into a nationally known gas distributor. His 56 years of service to
the company have made him not only the company’s guiding force, but also its moral compass.
His passion for keeping the company independent and prosperous is matched by his heartfelt
dedication to the company’s employees.
couldn’t survive the rst year.
en in late November, the coldest
winter in half a century swept across
West Texas, and the freezing tempera-
tures lasted for weeks. We sold more
natural gas than ever, and we made a lot
of money that rst year.
e employees who came with us were
courageous, and I was dedicated to them.
I was determined to do whatever we had
to do to survive. I think that same dedi-
cation and courage and determination
still exist at Atmos Energy today.
What is the most important character-
istic of a strong organization?
Focus. You have to maintain the focus
that will carry your vision forward.
In the past, our corporate vision was
about growth and development through
acquisitions. at strategy requires
appropriate risk-taking, a bit of gambling
and a lot of courage.
Bob Best was extremely courageous
as CEO in taking steps that tripled the
When you were named CEO in 1983,
many said the company wouldn’t
survive, but it did. How did you do it?
It was the result of a bit of luck and a lot
of dedication. We had just been spun
o in October from Pioneer Corpora-
tion, and our employees were being told
by former colleagues that the company
1
4
BELOW: To raise capital for
expansion, Charlie Vaughan
worked to attract attention from
the financial community. A major
move was listing the company on
the New York Stock Exchange.
On October 3, 1988, Charlie
and his wife, Barbara, toured the
NYSE, and Charlie bought share
No. 1 of Atmos Energy
Corporation common stock.