A new generation has taken the reins at King Milling Company. The family-owned business announced last week that Patrick Doyle was its new president. Outgoing president Jim Doyle will now serve as the executive vice chairman.
The family had informally decided that age 65 would be the appropriate time for the company president to turn over the title, according to Patrick. His dad, Brian Doyle, relinquished the role in 2022 after turning 65. And his cousin and successor, Jim, turned 65 in May.
“Both of them are still here and involved,” Patrick notes.
As the executive chairman and executive vice chairman, respectively, both Brian and Jim continue to help guide the company. However, overseeing the mill’s day-to-day operations now falls to Patrick.
Fifth-Generation Leadership
With the selection of Patrick as the new president, the fifth generation of the Doyle family is now at the helm of King Milling Co., which is Lowell’s oldest and one of its largest employers. Patrick’s brother Regan and cousin Michael are also fifth-generation members of the business.
“Having grown up in the business, it was always my dream to be in this role,” Patrick says.
Patrick first worked for King Milling as a high school student when he helped on the sanitation crew. For college, he attended Michigan State University and graduated with a degree in food industry management. After that, there was an MBA from Kansas State University and a stint with Consolidated Grain and Barge in Mount Vernon, Indiana.
He returned to King Milling in 2011 as an assistant vice president and has been steadily working his way up through the ranks.
“I’m very excited about it,” Patrick says of his recent promotion. “There’s always a lot of things going on in the company. It’s my hope and plan to keep that momentum.”
Lowell and King Milling “Go Hand-in-Hand”
King Milling Co has long been a strong supporter of various activities and events in Lowell, and Patrick doesn’t foresee that changing in the future.
“We’re really proud of the community we live in,” he says. “Our company and Lowell go hand-in-hand. We grew up together.”
Among the company’s most recent contributions to the community was a gift to the Lowell Rotary Club to assist with rebuilding the Creekside Kingdom playground. It was such a generous gift that the new playground has been officially dubbed the King Milling Creekside Kingdom.
Patrick and his family were there at Creekside Park to help rebuild the playground, and he has a long history of community service. In the past, he has served on the boards for Flat River Outreach Ministries, the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lowell Rotary Club and the Wheat Quality Council. He is a current member of the Lowell Rotary Club and president of the Michigan Millers Association.
Looking to the future, Patrick is excited about what is yet to come: “The future is very bright for our company.”
To learn more about King Milling Company, visit their website.
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