 In 1967 he was appointed president of Sandy's by the founder of the company, Gust E. "Brick" Lundberg.In 1971 Sandy's merged with Hardee's (a chain begun by Laughery's friend Leonard Rawls).Laughery was named executive vice president of operations of the new expanded Hardee's Food Systems Inc. A year later he was appointed president and chief operating officer, and in 1975 he was named CEO.