Paul C.P. McIlhenny, chief executive of McIlhenny Co, maker of the Tabasco hot pepper sauces, has died aged 68.
The company, based on Louisiana's Avery Island and founded in 1868, released a statement announcing McIlhenny's death on Saturday.
In the statement, McIlhenny was credited with helping the company to achieve years of record growth in sales and earnings.
According to Huffington Post, McIlhenny joined the company in 1967, overseeing production and product quality before taking on the role of president in 1998 and CEO two years later.
The statement said McIlhenny led the way on new brand merchandising, taking an instrumental role in the company's catalog business of licensed merchandise, which included t-shirts, aprons, neckties, stuffed toy bears and computer screensavers.
Also a company director at the time of his death, McIlhenny was among the fourth generation to produce the Tabasco branded sauce on Avery Island.