In 1950 after earning an MBA from Stanford University he began his business career with Newell Rubbermaid. Beginning in 1962 the affiliatedNewell Companies, including Western Newell, Newell Window Furnishings and Newell Manufacturing were consolidated into a single corporation headquartered in Freeport, Illinois. Ferguson was hired as president that same year and elected as a Director in 1965. He developed a growth-by-acquisition strategy based on his intention to build a strong, multi-product company through "Newellization".