Christopher C.F. Hammond Jr.

CHRIS C. F. HAMMOND, JR. Chris C. F. Hammond, Jr., former President and Chairman of the Board of Great Dane Trailers, Inc. in Savannah until his retirement from the firm in 1984, passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side on Monday, January 3, 2011 at the age of 98. Mr. Hammond was born on September 16, 1912 at Kathwood Plantation, Kathwood, South Carolina and was schooled in a single room school house on the Plantation. He later entered Richmond Academy in Augusta, Georgia where he graduated at the age of 16 and then went to work in Rhode Island as a Machine Apprentice at Brown & Sharpe Corporation for two years. At age 18 Mr. Hammond entered Georgia Tech and graduated in 1934 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy. It would be another three years before Mr. Hammond would begin to make his mark in the Truck Trailer industry. After graduation from Georgia Tech, he spent one year as Commander of CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.) camps in North Carolina and Tennessee where he served on active duty with the Navy. The other two years were spent as a mattress salesman for The Sealy Company of the Southeast in Memphis, Tennessee. On July 1, 1937 Mr. Hammond entered the truck trailer industry starting as a salesman for The Steel Products Company in Savannah selling 'Great Dane' Trailers in Florida. Back in those days Steel Products was primarily involved in the structural steel business and only built a few 'Great Dane' Trailers as a sideline. He was really the first Great Dane salesman. His first sale was for three 30-foot long by 90 inches wide single axle flatbed trailers to haul fruit boxes. The selling price was around $600 per trailer. After spending two years in Florida where he set up Great Dane Dealers in Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville, Mr. Hammond returned to Savannah in 1939. During World War II, the company built 3, 600 low bed trailers for the Army which were capable of hauling bulldozers and disabled tanks and won the Army-Navy "E" Award four times. The "E" stood for "Excellent on Quality and Production." During the war Mr. Hammond served on The Truck Body Builders, Tank Manufacturers, and Truck Trailer Manufacturers War Production Boards. In 1943 he was elected as the third president of the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association (TTMA). In 1947 he became vice president of The Steel Products Company and in 1948 was elected president of the National Truck Tank and Trailer Tank Institute. In 1949 he helped to develop the first refrigerated trailer manufactured by the company and Great Dane was the first trailer manufacturer to build a true refrigerated trailer. When Aluminum began to replace many of the steel components on trailers in the early 1950's, the refrigerated trailer began to make its mark in the market place. During the Korean War, Steel Products Company built a lot of 'Reefers' (Refrigerated Trailers) for the Quartermaster Corps. In 1953 Mr. Hammond became President of The Steel Products Company and in 1958 the company changed its name to Great Dane Trailers, Inc. and phased out its structural steel business. In 1967 Great Dane Trailers, Inc. was sold to U.S. Freight Company in New York, and in 1973 Mr. Hammond became Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Great Dane Trailers and held this position until 1978 when he retired as CEO but remained as Chairman. From 1967 to 1984 he served as a Director of Transway International Corporation (formerly U.S. Freight Company) in New York. In 1984 he retired as Chairman of Great Dane Trailers but remained active as a Consultant to the company until his death. He was a pioneer in the truck trailer industry for more than 50 years and was responsible for helping to build the local trailer company into a national enterprise. During his long and eventful life he also found time to serve in numerous capacities in Savannah which included: President of the Savannah Golf Club 1954-55; Board of Directors, Citizens & Southern National Bank 1963-84; President of the Century Club 1968-69; and President of the Oglethorpe Club 1974-75. After retiring, Mr. Hammond was inducted into the Georgia Tech College of Engineering Hall of Fame. A member of St. John the Baptist Cathedral, he and his wife have been major benefactors of numerous charities. He is the last of the 'Greatest Generation' and was the epitome of the Southern Gentlemen. He loved and cared for his family and friends and was kind and generous to all who were fortunate to call him friend. He leaves behind his sweetheart and loving wife, Elizabeth Mercer Hammond; three sons and daughters-in-law, Kit (Karen); Pearce (Anne); and George (Dena); 9 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren, and 2 great, great grandsons. Burial will be graveside at Greenwich Cemetery on Friday January 7, 2011 at 11 a.m. Donations in lieu of flowers to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist and Hospice Savannah. Please sign our on-line guest book at www.foxandweeks.com