Clay Mathile

Clayton Lee Mathile (pronounced [Muh-til]) (January 11, 1941 – August 26, 2023) was an American billionaire businessman best known for leading Iams to nearly $1 billion in sales before selling it to Procter & Gamble (P&G) for $2.3 billion in 1999 in what was, at the time, the largest cash-only deal in P&G's history.

Early life and education Clayton Lee Mathile was born on January 11, 1941, as the oldest child of Wilbert "Bill" Ray Mathile and Helen Good Mathile, in Portage, Ohio where his parents owned a 40-acre farm.

Mathile graduated at age 16 from Portage High School, ranking first in his class of 14 students. He also lettered in basketball and earned an honorable mention for the all-state team. He went on to attend Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, where he also played on the basketball team. He initially studied mechanical engineering before transferring to the business school. When an expected scholarship fell through, Mathile took a job pumping gas. Mathile graduated a quarter early in February 1962 with a business degree. Mathile convinced Paul Iams that the company needed to build its own manufacturing plant.

From the outset, Mathile focused strongly on product quality, research and development, and customer outreach, including marketing efforts targeting pet owners, high-end breeders, and veterinarians. He offered a 100% money-back guarantee to any customer who wasn't satisfied and established a customer support department equipped to answer consumer questions about their pets — even on topics unrelated to pet food, such as handling grief over the loss of a pet. He also established a national distribution network. Insisting that vendors be paid within 30 days ensured that The Iams Company had the best supplies available — even during shortages. Mathile also honored Paul Iams' commitment to science by funding a new research and development center, which worked to ensure that dogs and cats received the best nutrition possible from Iams and Eukanuba.

Eventually, Mathile appointed the company's president and chief operating officer Tom MacLeod as CEO and became chairman of the board. By 1999, Mathile had grown The Iams Company to a 5.7% share of the U.S. pet food market and distributed portions to his adult children.

Other businesses Mathile and his family have started other businesses. They operate under the umbrella of Myrian Capital in Dayton, Ohio, founded and chaired by their youngest son, Mike Mathile.

Personal life and death On July 7, 1962, Mathile married MaryAnn Maas, the woman he dated since high school.

Honors and awards Ohio Northern University, honorary doctorate in business, 1991 Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, National Finalist, 1999 Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award Winner, South Central Ohio & Kentucky Region, 1999 Dayton Business Journal, Regional Leader of the Year, 2008 Better Business Bureau, Dayton Chapter, Inaugural Torch Award, 2010