PRESS RELEASE
Date: February 4, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact: International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA)
Matt Marks, Executive Director
Phone: 973/398-2274
info@iaraonline.org
IARA Presents Jim Moran with First-ever Circle of Excellence Award
LOS ANGELES – The International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA) recognized Jim Moran, founder and honorary chairman of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., as the recipient of its inaugural Circle of Excellence Award on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003. Click on photo to enlarge photo of Jim Moran accepting award.
Moran got his start in the industry as an automotive dealer in Chicago. A true advertising pioneer, he became the first television sponsor to appear in his own commercials and first television advertiser in the nation to show a vehicle on television and sell it himself. His innovative advertising methods earned him the cover of Time Magazine in the March 26, 1961 issue; he is the only automobile dealer to ever be featured on the cover of the magazine. Moran’s philanthropic efforts also began in Chicago, with his heading up major charity drives for five years. His efforts supported the Boy Scouts, B’nai Brith, the Heart Fund, the Cancer Society, Cerebral Palsy and City of Hope. He hosted several telethons for numerous fund raising projects with such well-known celebrities as Sammy Davis, Jr., Bob Hope, the Mills Brothers, Mickey Rooney, Danny Thomas, Jane Wyman, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
In 1968 after moving to South Florida, Jim Moran was approached by Toyota Motor Sales with the possibility of distributing Toyotas. On October 26, 1968, during his first visit to Japan, Jim was awarded the franchise to distribute Toyotas, and Southeast Toyota Distributors was born. Today, Southeast Toyota is the world's largest privately owned distributor of Toyota vehicles, as well as automotive parts and accessories. With the move to South Florida, Moran continued his heritage of charitable activities, supporting such organizations as Kids in Distress, Holy Cross Hospital, and The Urban League.
In 1996, he received the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, which recognizes Americans who have risen from humble beginnings to achieve success. Jim and his wife, Jan, are very involved in the South Florida community as well as other areas in which Jim has a business presence. Always inspiring others to work hard and do their best, he is quick to assist with both a financial and personal commitment for community projects, especially those involving children and families. Some of these include the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center at Nova Southeastern University, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University. His charitable work also includes the founding of the Youth Automotive Training Center in Deerfield Beach, FL, a program providing mechanical training, academic education, and life skills management for at-risk youth in South Florida. In 2000 The Jim Moran Foundation was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization to ensure Jim’s philosophy of giving back to the community will continue in perpetuity.
Southeast Toyota and its parent company, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., have forged an incredible path in the automotive industry. In January 2003, the company was ranked by a survey in FORTUNE® magazine as the 14th Best Company to Work for in America. Also ranked as Forbes Magazine’s 13th largest privately held company in the United States and employing a team of more than 3,500 associates nationwide, JM Family has grown from a core distribution business into a diversified automotive corporation whose principal businesses focus on vehicle distribution and processing, finance and warranty services, and insurance activities. JMFE's other operations include: World Omni Financial Corp., which offers automotive financial products and services; CenterOne Financial Services, which provides third-party servicing for prime consumer loans and auto leases as well as commercial auto dealer loans; and Margate, FL-based JM Lexus, the largest volume retail Lexus dealership in the world.
About the IARA Circle of Excellence Award
The IARA Circle of Excellence Award is designed to recognize an industry leader who has made outstanding contributions to the remarketing industry. The IARA plans to present the Award each year at the Spring IARA Remarketing Roundtable Meeting.