RUPPEL, Phillip A.

RUPPEL, Phillip A. (Fairbury, IL, Nov. 7, 1942-- ). A graduate of Southern Illinois University in 1965, Ruppel completed graduate work toward an MBA at Bradley University from 1968 to 1971. For ten years he worked for A.O. Smith Corp. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin holding various positions in personnel and accounting. He left the company in 1977 to join a Wendy's franchise in Hickory, North Carolina.

In 1980 Ruppel established Parco Ltd. with his wife to purchase four Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburger franchise restaurants in eastern Iowa. Parco Ltd. in 1997 operated nine Wendy's restaurants, eight in Iowa and one in Illinois. Parco Enterprises, Inc. was established the same year to own and operate Wendy's restaurants in Rochester and Mankato, Minnesota.

In addition to his business activities, Ruppel served as chairman of the board of the Finley Tri-States Health System, Inc. and FINLEY HOSPITAL (THE), director of Firstar Bank FSB, trustee of the UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE, and director of MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. He was a member of the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Foundation board and a trustee of FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST. Ruppel was also a chairman of the board of directors of the DUBUQUE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, board member of Iowa Health System, Inc., and treasurer of the Eastern Iowa Council of Boy Scouts. He co-chaired the Dubuque Chamber Education Task Force and was a member of Wendy's International, Inc. Franchise Advisory Council and the University of Wisconsin, Platteville Accounting and Business Advisory Council. In 2008 he was a member of the Community Foundation of Dubuque.

In 2008 Ruppel was inducted in the Wendy's Hall of Fame. At the time of the honor, Parco owned and operated twenty restaurants with locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Ruppel retired at the beginning of 2008.