meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Founders

#66 Henry Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West

Founders

David Senra

History, Entrepreneurship, Business, Technology

4.82.4K Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2019

⏱️ 85 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What I learned from reading Henry J. Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West by Mark Foster.  He built giant businesses in roads, bridges, dams, housing, cement, aluminum, chemicals, steel, health care, and tourism. (0:01)  starting a joint venture with Howard Hughes (6:40) learning how not to run a business (12:00) how Kaiser was able to start his own business with no money (18:00) I decided to pick one fellow I wanted most to work for and concentrate on him. (23:15) how Henry Kaiser used passion and enthusiasm to start a construction company in Vancouver (30:00) using the leverage that technology provides or how to make big jobs small (44:00) very difficult work + fewer people willing to do it = opportunity (50:40)  how Kaiser goes from never building ships to having 200,000 employees building ships (1:00:00), Kaiser promoted himself as an industrialist populist (1:13:00) Kaiser's managerial style (1:15:00) ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here.  ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

In the 1940s Henry J Kaiser was a household name as familiar then as Warren Buffett and Donald Trump are now.

0:08.0

Kaiser rose from lower middle class origins to become an enormously wealthy entrepreneur, building roads, bridges, dams,

0:15.8

and housing.

0:17.1

He established giant businesses and cement, aluminum, chemicals, steel, health care, and tourism.

0:24.4

During World War II, his companies built cargo planes and

0:27.5

liberty ships.

0:29.2

After the war, he manufactured the Kaiser Fraser automobile.

0:33.0

Along the way, he became a major force in the development of the Western United States, including Hawaii.

0:39.0

Henry J. Kaiser, building, builder in the modern American West, is the first biography of this remarkable

0:46.6

man.

0:47.6

Drawing on a wealth of archival material never before utilized, Mark Foster paints an even-handed portrait of a man of driving ambition

0:56.0

and integrity. Perhaps the ultimate can-do capitalist. Okay, so that's from the back cover of the book

1:04.7

that I'm going to talk to you about today,

1:05.8

which is Henry J. Kaiser,

1:07.4

builder in the Modern American West,

1:09.9

by Mark S. Foster.

1:12.2

So this book was actually printed in 1989.

1:15.4

So I found the references to Warren Buffett and Donald Trump

1:18.9

interesting, since those are both very well-known people

1:22.0

today for vastly different reasons. But before I jump

1:25.8

into the book I want to tell you I want to read the footnote from another book

1:30.4

that that what led me me to discover Henry Kaiser.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from David Senra, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of David Senra and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.