Allan Jones

Allan Jones, aka William Allan Jones Jr., (born 31 December 1952) is a US-based entrepreneur. He lives in Cleveland, Tennessee.The Lord of Loans: How Cleveland payday-loan pioneer Allan Jones was propelled to fame and fortune

 Early life and education 
Jones attended Cleveland High School, where he wrestled and won various awards and was team captain. He graduated in 1972. Jones credited wrestling with helping build character.The Mat. "Allan Jones Donates $1 Million to Build Wrestling Facilities" by Sandra Rowland, May 23, 2001

 Professional career 
Jones left college at age 20 to help his father stabilize the family's small business, the Credit Bureau of Cleveland.Chattanooga Times Free Press, February 24, 2008

He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Check Into Cash, Creditcorp, Jones Management Services and the Community Financial Services Association.

Jones opened the first Check Into Cash store in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1993. It got merged into Check Into Cash in 2021 with Community Choice Financial. In 2022, he announced that Community Choice had acquired competitor Speedy Cash.

In 1999, Jones was credited with founding the Community Financial Services Association of America.

In 2014, Jones purchased Hardwick Clothes, a company founded in Cleveland, in 1880. Hardwick Clothes is the oldest manufacturer of tailor-made clothing in the United States.

Hardwick Clothes, which began as Cleveland Woolen Mills, was one of two companies founded by C.L. Hardwick in the 19th century. Hardwick put his son Joseph in charge of Hardwick Stove, the family's other business, while his son George ran the clothing company. Cleveland Woolen Mills soon evolved into a manufacturing plant, making suits and other items of apparel.

In 2019, Jones sold Hardwick to the company Puerto Rico Industries for the Blind.

 Philanthropy 
In 1990, Jones founded MainStreet Cleveland.

In 2014, the Jones family gave a donation to Lee University.

In 2017, Jones donated 43,000 pairs of eclipse-viewing sunglasses to students in six Tennessee school systems, to ensure students who wanted to view the solar eclipse did so only with safe, NASA-approved glasses.

He is credited with the creation of the legend of Tall Betsy, a Halloween cultural icon based in Bradley County.

 Awards 

 M.C. Headrick Free Enterprise Award from The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce (2003)

 Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at University of Tennessee (2003)"Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, 2003" , October 2003.

 Power 100 by BusinessTN magazine (2005) BusinessTN, July 2005.

 The King of Cash by BusinessTN MagazineDrew Ruble, "The King of Cash" , BusinessTN, July 2005

 Fred Gregg Jr Award from the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame for contributions to sports (2012)

 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy from the Tennessee Board of Regents (2015)

 Personal life 
Politically, Jones has been an Independent, and has donated to the campaigns of both Democratic and Republican politicians, but his views are characterized to be right-leaning and fiscally conservative. Jones supported Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. A few days after the inauguration of President Trump, Jones stated in an interview with Fox & Friends that he was "tired of Presidents who were politicians" and believed that small businesses would benefit from Trump's policies.

 References 

Category:1952 births
Category:Living people
Category:Businesspeople from Tennessee
Category:American philanthropists