OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Mike Harper, who is credited with transforming ConAgra from a struggling grain company into a giant food conglomerate, has died in Omaha.
John A. Gentleman Mortuaries said Monday that Harper died Saturday at the age of 88. His daughter Elizabeth Murphy told the Omaha World-Herald that friends had visited her father during his final weeks and that he died peacefully at home.
In addition to his ConAgra work from 1974 through 1992, Harper also helped create the downtown Omaha renaissance by constructing ConAgra's headquarters campus along the Missouri River and in Nebraska's economic growth through his insistence the state adopt tax incentives.
Gov. Pete Ricketts said Sunday that Harper "was charming, hard-nosed, generous, and a great role model for any aspiring business executive."
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