Kinko’s Founder Hopes Hardin Copies Successes

Joseph Hardin Jr., who was named last week as president and chief executive officer of Ventura-based Kinko’s Inc., brings “passion and business acumen” to the job, Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko’s, said.

Hardin is scheduled to begin the job May 1.

“We’re thrilled to have Mr. Hardin assume the presidency at Kinko’s,” said Orfalea.

“The leadership he demonstrated during his 11-year career at Wal-Mart has been outstanding. We’re confident that he’ll take Kinko’s into the future with the same passion and business acumen that has made Sam’s Clubs the $20-billion success it is today.”

Hardin, 52, was president and chief executive officer of Sam’s Clubs, the wholesale club division of Wal-Mart Stores.

He joined Wal-Mart in 1986 and held numerous executive positions, including president and CEO of McLane Co. and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Wal-Mart Stores Division. He spent the first 13 years of his career at the Southland Corp., where his last assignment was as vice president of distribution for 7-Eleven stores.

A graduate of West Point, Hardin received his MBA from North Texas State University. He is a decorated Vietnam War veteran.

Founded in 1970 with one store, Kinko’s is now one of the largest chains of document copying and business services stores in the world. The company currently operates more than 850 stores in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Kinko’s is a privately held corporation with more than 23,000 workers worldwide.