James M. Moran
Encyclopedia
James Martin "Jim" Moran (August 8, 1918 – April 24, 2007) was an American
car dealer and philanthropist
whose net worth
of $2.4 billion ranked him 390th on the Forbes 400
at the time of his death.
. His father died when he was 14, but his mother insisted he stay in school. He graduated from Loyola High School (now Loyola Academy
) in 1936. Moran married Arline Steveley in 1941, then served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1943. He and his wife had three children: Arline in 1943, Pat in 1945 and Jim, Jr. in 1948. His first wife died from complications of rheumatoid arthritis
in February, 1976. Moran married Janice Maxine Kline on July 30, 1976.
gas station in 1939 for $360; returning to Chicago after his war service, he added a used-car lot, then opened a Hudson
dealership, Midtown Motors in 1946 which grew to be the largest in the U.S. When Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator, he switched brands to Ford in 1955, renaming it Courtesy Ford. As the first car dealer to advertise on television, he became well known in the Chicago area as "Jim Moran the Courtesy Man." By the late 1950’s, Courtesy Ford had become the world's largest Ford dealer. On March 24, 1961 he became and remains the only automobile dealer to appear on the cover of Time Magazine.
cancer
. He and his wife, Arline, who was also ill, decided to move to Florida. However, his disease went into remission and in 1968, he returned to the automotive field by opening a Pontiac
dealership in Homestead
, which he subsequently moved to Hollywood
.
wanted to establish a dealer network in the Southeast U.S. and wanted to talk to Jim Moran, who asked what a Toyota was. The company had been unsuccessful at breaking into the American market at the end of the 1950s and was trying again. Moran declined, but his friend was insistent that Moran drive one. According to Moran, he tested everything to see if it would break. While cruising at 55 mph on the interstate, Moran shifted into reverse, and the engine and transmission survived. Moran concluded that although Toyotas weren't as stylish or comfortable as domestic vehicles, they were well-built, reasonably priced, and destined to change the automotive business. On October 26, 1968 he entered into an agreement to distribute Toyota vehicles from the port in Jacksonville, Florida
to the states of Florida
, Georgia
, Alabama
, North
and South Carolina
. His Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) was founded that year and in 2006, distributed over 400,000 vehicles, 20% of all new Toyotas sold in the United States.
(JMFE) umbrella, which is headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida
. JMFE is recognized as one of Fortune's "100 Best Places to Work in America" and the second largest private company in Florida. The company grew from a distribution business into a diversified automotive corporation. Today, those businesses also include vehicle processing, financial services and insurance products, retail sales/dealer technology products and services. JMFE is an industry leader with 2008 sales of $10.1 billion and employing approximately 4,000 people nationwide.
A number of Toyota dealers filed suit against JMFE alleging that they were coerced into doing business with other JMFE companies in order to receive the most desirable Toyota models. Eventually, all the lawsuits were dropped after a settlement was reached.
In the late 1980s, SET was accused of denying dealership franchises to blacks who met the distributor's requirements. In 1992, a congressional hearing was held to investigate possible discrimination. In response, JMFE began the yearly African-American Achievers Awards.
. From that point, he was hooked. Boats and entertaining on them was Jim Moran's passion. In his lifetime, he owned more than 200, including models from Burger
, Wellcraft Scarab, Hatteras, Sea Ray
, Rybovich and multi-million dollar motor yachts from Feadship
. In 1983, he asked Feadship to design a boat large enough to be seaworthy for ocean cruising but elegant for entertaining business associates. Over the next 20+ years, Moran commissioned seven more vessels from the company.
His modus operandi
was to commission a yacht, take delivery (boats usually took 18–24 months to build), use it for a couple of years, then commission a new yacht with improvements. When the new boat was finished, he would sell the old boat at a profit and repeat the cycle.
Jim Moran had a significant influence on yachting. ShowBoats International presented him with their first Flagship Award in 2006. It was awarded because "he progressively pushed the envelope on technology and innovation...generously shared his yachting experience with his employees and charitable organizations...plus his life-time commitment to stewardship of the environment"
The Yacht Club of Monaco and sponsor, Hublot
presented him with the Yachting Heritage Award for "innovation in yacht design and technology with a commitment to ocean preservation".
Jim Moran and his wife Jan were founding members of the International SeaKeepers Society
, who renamed their calibration lab and engineering office in Moran's honor after his death. They were also included in the two-star Admiral's Club.
Mr. Moran was posthumously honored on April 18, 2008 in Venice, Italy with a special Superyacht Legacy Award from Boat International that recognized his contributions to yacht design, ocean conservation efforts, boating enthusiasm and philanthropy.
After open heart surgery saved his life in 1988, Moran donated $1 million to fund a cardiovascular intensive care unit at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. The Morans and JM Family Enterprises gave a combined $6 million in 2000 to build the Jim Moran Heart and Vascular Center. His last donation was a five-year, $26 million Moran Challenge for the Jim Moran Heart and Vascular Research Institute, that began in 2006.
The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship was established in 1995 at Florida State University
through a $1.8 million gift. The purpose of the entity was to provide a wide range of services to the entrepreneur at no charge.
The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
in Jacksonville, Florida
was the recipient of a $2 million Moran donation in 1996 which funded a complete renovation of what was the original Civic Auditorium, which was transformed into a showplace with new balconies, a complete reconfiguration of seating, new ceiling and state-of-the-art sound system. Equipped for Broadway touring shows, with a seating capacity of 3,000, this theater gives residents a venue to see classic Broadway productions. It was named the Jim and Jan Moran Theater.
In 2000, he established The Jim Moran Foundation with the mission to improve the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida through the support of innovative programs and opportunities that meet the ever-changing needs of the community. JM Family Enterprises continues to provide funding for the entity.
in 1996. At the urging of friends and business associates, he published his autobiography that same year: Jim Moran: the Courtesy Man. It was subtitled, "Inside the Heart of One of the Most Successful Marketers in the Automobile Industry". The following year, Florida State University
awarded him a Doctor of Humane Letters
in recognition of his marketing talent and skills.
The International Automotive Hall of Fame
inducted Moran in 2005.
at the age of 88 on the very day it was announced that Toyota had surpassed General Motors
as the best-selling automaker in the world.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
car dealer and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
whose net worth
Net worth
In business, net worth is the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual or a company. For a company, this is called shareholders' preference and may be referred to as book value. Net worth is stated as at a particular year in time...
of $2.4 billion ranked him 390th on the Forbes 400
Forbes 400
The Forbes 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by Forbes Magazine magazine of the wealthiest 400 Americans, ranked by net worth. The list is published annually in September, and 2010 marks the 29th issue. The 400 was started by Malcom Forbes in 1982 and treats those in the list like...
at the time of his death.
Personal
Moran was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. His father died when he was 14, but his mother insisted he stay in school. He graduated from Loyola High School (now Loyola Academy
Loyola Academy
Loyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school, located in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, it is one of 47 Jesuit high schools in the United States and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education...
) in 1936. Moran married Arline Steveley in 1941, then served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1943. He and his wife had three children: Arline in 1943, Pat in 1945 and Jim, Jr. in 1948. His first wife died from complications of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
in February, 1976. Moran married Janice Maxine Kline on July 30, 1976.
Business
Following high school, he saved his money and bought a SinclairSinclair Oil
Sinclair Oil Corporation is an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916 as the Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Sinclair Oil reincorporated in Wyoming in 1976...
gas station in 1939 for $360; returning to Chicago after his war service, he added a used-car lot, then opened a Hudson
Hudson Motor Car Company
The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to form American Motors. The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was dropped.- Company strategy...
dealership, Midtown Motors in 1946 which grew to be the largest in the U.S. When Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator, he switched brands to Ford in 1955, renaming it Courtesy Ford. As the first car dealer to advertise on television, he became well known in the Chicago area as "Jim Moran the Courtesy Man." By the late 1950’s, Courtesy Ford had become the world's largest Ford dealer. On March 24, 1961 he became and remains the only automobile dealer to appear on the cover of Time Magazine.
Retiring to Florida
In the early 1960s, he was diagnosed with terminalTerminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He and his wife, Arline, who was also ill, decided to move to Florida. However, his disease went into remission and in 1968, he returned to the automotive field by opening a Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
dealership in Homestead
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
, which he subsequently moved to Hollywood
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
.
Toyota
In early 1968, he was contacted by a friend from Chicago who said that ToyotaToyota Motor Manufacturing North America
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America is an automobile manufacturing and research and development company owned by Toyota Motor Company...
wanted to establish a dealer network in the Southeast U.S. and wanted to talk to Jim Moran, who asked what a Toyota was. The company had been unsuccessful at breaking into the American market at the end of the 1950s and was trying again. Moran declined, but his friend was insistent that Moran drive one. According to Moran, he tested everything to see if it would break. While cruising at 55 mph on the interstate, Moran shifted into reverse, and the engine and transmission survived. Moran concluded that although Toyotas weren't as stylish or comfortable as domestic vehicles, they were well-built, reasonably priced, and destined to change the automotive business. On October 26, 1968 he entered into an agreement to distribute Toyota vehicles from the port in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
to the states of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, North
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. His Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) was founded that year and in 2006, distributed over 400,000 vehicles, 20% of all new Toyotas sold in the United States.
JM Family
Moran created other automotive businesses under the JM Family EnterprisesJM Family Enterprises
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. is a diversified automotive company ranked by Forbes as the 30th-largest privately held company in the U.S. It is also consistently ranked by FORTUNE as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, and by Computerworld magazine as 100 Best Places to Work in IT...
(JMFE) umbrella, which is headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, USA. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 75,018...
. JMFE is recognized as one of Fortune's "100 Best Places to Work in America" and the second largest private company in Florida. The company grew from a distribution business into a diversified automotive corporation. Today, those businesses also include vehicle processing, financial services and insurance products, retail sales/dealer technology products and services. JMFE is an industry leader with 2008 sales of $10.1 billion and employing approximately 4,000 people nationwide.
Troubles
Moran pled guilty to tax evasion in 1984. He insisted that he had been given bad advice and it was not intentional. He was fined $35,000, put on probation, and created a training facility for disadvantaged youth (see Philanthropy, below).A number of Toyota dealers filed suit against JMFE alleging that they were coerced into doing business with other JMFE companies in order to receive the most desirable Toyota models. Eventually, all the lawsuits were dropped after a settlement was reached.
In the late 1980s, SET was accused of denying dealership franchises to blacks who met the distributor's requirements. In 1992, a congressional hearing was held to investigate possible discrimination. In response, JMFE began the yearly African-American Achievers Awards.
Yachting
Moran's first boat was purchased in the 1940s; a 19-foot Chris-CraftChris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., formerly National Automotive Fibers, Inc., was a publicly-held American corporation traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It later took on the name of one of its acquisitions, Chris-Craft Boats...
. From that point, he was hooked. Boats and entertaining on them was Jim Moran's passion. In his lifetime, he owned more than 200, including models from Burger
Burger Boat Company
The Burger Boat Company, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is the builder of custom-designed, hand-built pleasure yachts.Burger Boat was founded in 1863. It produced its first welded steel yacht in 1938 and began using welded aluminum in 1952...
, Wellcraft Scarab, Hatteras, Sea Ray
Sea Ray
Sea Ray is a brand of pleasure boats produced and sold around the world. The company currently operates as part of the Brunswick Boat Group, a division of the Brunswick Corporation.-History:...
, Rybovich and multi-million dollar motor yachts from Feadship
Feadship
Feadship is a cooperative venture between two shipyards and maritime engineering company De Voogt Naval Architects.-History:...
. In 1983, he asked Feadship to design a boat large enough to be seaworthy for ocean cruising but elegant for entertaining business associates. Over the next 20+ years, Moran commissioned seven more vessels from the company.
His modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
was to commission a yacht, take delivery (boats usually took 18–24 months to build), use it for a couple of years, then commission a new yacht with improvements. When the new boat was finished, he would sell the old boat at a profit and repeat the cycle.
Jim Moran had a significant influence on yachting. ShowBoats International presented him with their first Flagship Award in 2006. It was awarded because "he progressively pushed the envelope on technology and innovation...generously shared his yachting experience with his employees and charitable organizations...plus his life-time commitment to stewardship of the environment"
The Yacht Club of Monaco and sponsor, Hublot
Hublot
Hublot is a Swiss enterprise creating luxury watches and founded in 1980 by Carlo Crocco. The company currently operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of France's LVMH.- History :...
presented him with the Yachting Heritage Award for "innovation in yacht design and technology with a commitment to ocean preservation".
Jim Moran and his wife Jan were founding members of the International SeaKeepers Society
International SeaKeepers Society
The International SeaKeepers Society is a non-profit organization of international business and political leaders who work toward the awareness and protection of the world's oceans.-The Society:...
, who renamed their calibration lab and engineering office in Moran's honor after his death. They were also included in the two-star Admiral's Club.
Mr. Moran was posthumously honored on April 18, 2008 in Venice, Italy with a special Superyacht Legacy Award from Boat International that recognized his contributions to yacht design, ocean conservation efforts, boating enthusiasm and philanthropy.
Philanthropy
In 1984, Moran founded the Youth Automotive Training Center (YATC), located in Deerfield Beach, Florida as a privately funded program that offers basic automotive repair training, GED and academic preparation, and life skills proficiency for at-risk young people. As of 2009, there are 491 YATC graduates living as successful, law-abiding citizens because they were given an opportunity to learn a marketable skill.After open heart surgery saved his life in 1988, Moran donated $1 million to fund a cardiovascular intensive care unit at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. The Morans and JM Family Enterprises gave a combined $6 million in 2000 to build the Jim Moran Heart and Vascular Center. His last donation was a five-year, $26 million Moran Challenge for the Jim Moran Heart and Vascular Research Institute, that began in 2006.
The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship was established in 1995 at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
through a $1.8 million gift. The purpose of the entity was to provide a wide range of services to the entrepreneur at no charge.
The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts is a performance center and auditorium in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It opened in 1997, and was built on the former location of the Civic Auditorium. The Jim and Jan Moran Theater opened on February 8, 1997, and the The Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
was the recipient of a $2 million Moran donation in 1996 which funded a complete renovation of what was the original Civic Auditorium, which was transformed into a showplace with new balconies, a complete reconfiguration of seating, new ceiling and state-of-the-art sound system. Equipped for Broadway touring shows, with a seating capacity of 3,000, this theater gives residents a venue to see classic Broadway productions. It was named the Jim and Jan Moran Theater.
In 2000, he established The Jim Moran Foundation with the mission to improve the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida through the support of innovative programs and opportunities that meet the ever-changing needs of the community. JM Family Enterprises continues to provide funding for the entity.
Honors
Moran was the recipient of the prestigious Horatio Alger AwardHoratio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphasize the importance of higher education...
in 1996. At the urging of friends and business associates, he published his autobiography that same year: Jim Moran: the Courtesy Man. It was subtitled, "Inside the Heart of One of the Most Successful Marketers in the Automobile Industry". The following year, Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
awarded him a Doctor of Humane Letters
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
in recognition of his marketing talent and skills.
The International Automotive Hall of Fame
Automotive Hall of Fame
The Automotive Hall of Fame is an American museum and hall of fame covering automotive innovations.-Location:Located in the metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, the museum shares a parking lot with The Henry Ford.-External links:*...
inducted Moran in 2005.
Death
On April 24, 2007, Moran died at his home in Hillsboro Beach, FloridaHillsboro Beach, Florida
Hillsboro Beach is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town was named for the Earl of Hillsborough, who received large grants of land from the King of England while Florida was an English possession. The strip along State Road A1A includes an exclusive stretch called "Hillsboro...
at the age of 88 on the very day it was announced that Toyota had surpassed General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
as the best-selling automaker in the world.