Rich Davis was born I Joplin Missouri.  After graduating from college he attended Medical School and later received a medical degree.  After several years of general practice he took resident training in adult and child psychology.  He later became the Dean of the Medical School at the University of North Dakota. 

During these years he continued his food “hobby.”  He was not satisfied with the commercial barbecue sauces available at the time.   So he created his own barbecue sauce.  People liked his sauce so much that he decided to bottle it and sell it.  He then named his sauce  “Masterpiece” barbecue sauce because it was the best that he could create.  At the last minute he added the “KC” to the name in honor of his much loved home town.  His two sons joined him in getting the sauce in every market possible.  The company then expanded so far and wide that he decided to sell it and eventually worked out a deal with the Clorox Corporation and within a few years the KC Masterpiece sauce became the #1 selling barbecue sauce in the country.

Rich has no connection with the barbecue products now.  He is retired from both medicine and the food business.  But he has since made great contributions promoting barbecue since his retirement.