JM Family Enterprises
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. (JMFE) is a diversified automotive company. It is ranked by "Forbes" as the 17th largest privately held company in the U.S. The company is ranked on the "Fortune" "100 Best Companies to Work For" list, and was No. 9 on the "InformationWeek" 500 list of the nation's leading information technology innovators. History. Founded in 1968 by automotive pioneer James M. (Jim) Moran, JM Family has grown from a core distribution business importing Japanese cars into a diversified automotive corporation whose principal businesses focus on vehicle distribution and processing, financial services, finance and  insurance products, retail sales and dealer technology products and services. The company is an industry leader employing more than 4,500 people nationwide. Deerfield Beach became JMFE's corporate headquarters in 1981. Jacksonville architect Robert C. Broward, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the campus’ master plan. Broward included an oriental flair to his architecture in recognition of the relationship with Japanese company Toyota. Best Company to work for. In the 1990s, JMFE began offering an employee perk that was unusual. The company created a walk-in medical clinic at their corporate office in Deerfield Beach and began providing limited  on-site care for any employee enrolled in their medical plans at no charge. The facility was staffed with nurses all week, while a doctor was available twice a week. The experiment was so successful that it was expanded to Baymeadows and the port in Jacksonville. In 2016, JMFE was ranked 13th on Fortune magazine's article, "30 Best Workplaces to Retire From". No other Florida company made the list and company perks included retiree and long-term health insurance, individual retirement plans and a defined benefit pension plan. The minimum wage at JM Family in 2018 was $16  an hour, almost twice Florida's official minimum. Employees surveyed said they were proud to tell people they worked at JMFE. Other benefits included a hair salon, child care, health club, cafeteria, credit union, vehicle discounts, tuition reimbursement, remote work, and company sponsored events. JM Family marked their 50th year in business by announcing a $150 million makeover for their corporate headquarters (see New Headquarters, below). JMFE Chairman and CEO Colin Brown stated, "We see this as a way to attract new and young talent, retain existing talent with state-of-the art facilities, create a more fun and  collaborative work environment, and modernize our existing facilities." The year 2021 was the 23rd year that JM Family Enterprises was included in "Fortune"s "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Operations. JMFE began with a distributorship for imported Japanese vehicles and grew rapidly. The first year, cars were being sold to 42 dealerships by eleven associates in Pompano Beach, Florida. As opportunities presented themselves, Moran created other automotive businesses under the JM Family Enterprises "umbrella". JMFE has major operations in Jacksonville, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; Commerce & Alpharetta, Georgia, St. Louis, Missouri and Irvine, California. New Headquarters. The Corporate headquarters in Deerfield  Beach, Florida is located at the northwest corner of the intersection at Interstate 95 and Hillsboro Boulevard in Broward County, Florida. The complex consisted of 15 buildings along Jim Moran Boulevard. In April 2018 JMFE announced a $150 million renovation and expansion. A new 900-car parking garage was key to the transformation into a pedestrian-centered campus with green space. Only three buildings escaped the wrecking ball; seven were demolished. New buildings included three new office buildings and a two-floor dining facility; a conference and training center (); and a sports complex (). Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at  the corporate headquarters continued, but at a slower pace. Emphasis was placed on LEED Certification and the price tag increased to $200 million in 2021. Information Technology. JMFE has consistently embraced technology as an integral part of their business. In 2004, InformationWeek magazine and CIC Research conducted a survey of large U.S. companies in 21 industries to determine the "Top Industry Performers" for innovative IT users. In the Automotive Industry, JM Family Enterprises was chosen. A 2006 article in InformationWeek magazine discussed how JMFE transitioned from a service provider to a business partner: "Wring Profits Out Of IT". At  the time, the company marketed more than two dozen IT services and products including network services, web filters, virus protection, retail kiosks and wireless products. That same year, JMFE was ranked ninth on the InformationWeek 500. JMsolutions was formed to sell internal IT products & services outside the company. Products included "JMsolutions RetailSuite" and "Mobile Auto Xchange", a wireless appraisal program. Southeast Toyota Distributors. On October 26, 1968, Jim Moran 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. Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) was founded  that year. There are three vehicle processing facilities. At each site, vehicles are prepped, accessorized, assigned to dealerships and loaded onto Car carrier trailers for transport to the dealerships. SETs original vehicle processing center is located at the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort) Talleyrand terminal and processes the vehicles that arrive by ship. As of 2022, the majority of vehicles distributed by SET arrive by Rail transport, not ship. The "Westlake Processing facility" opened in 2002 on the northwest side of Jacksonville for vehicles destined for Southern Alabama, Southern Georgia and Florida. The "Inland Processing facility" is located in Commerce, Georgia  for vehicles intended for distribution to dealers in Northern Alabama, Northern Georgia and the Carolinas. "Southeast Toyota Parts" operates from a single, warehouse in Jacksonville, the size of 8 football fields. For 2020, $437 million in Toyota parts & accessories were sold. "Southeast Transportation Systems" (STS) at the Westlake Processing center employs drivers and tractor/trailers who transport vehicles to Southeast Toyota dealers and fleet customers from SET's Jacksonville and Commerce vehicle processing facilities. The "Technical Training Center" (TTC) opened in 2007 at the Westlake Processing center in Jacksonville for dealership employees. The "Technical Services department" assists dealership technicians  with diagnostic problems and is also located at the Westlake Processing center. In 2020, Southeast Toyota Distributors sold 434,033 vehicles, including 94,507 from fleet business. Southeast Toyota Finance. World Omni Financial Corporation (WOFCO), d/b/a Southeast Toyota Finance (SETF) is a captive & diversified financial services company which finances nearly half of the new Toyota vehicles sold by SET's 177 dealers. They have customer care centers in Mobile, Alabama and St. Louis, Missouri to service 800,000 customers. SETF also provides $780 million in floorplan financing to those same dealers. JM&A Group. JM&A Group provides finance, insurance and warranty  products for sale by any automotive dealer, not just Toyota. They also conduct dealership training and consulting. The training center is a new, facility on their corporate campus in Deerfield Beach. JM Lexus. JM Lexus is one of the largest volume retail Lexus dealerships in the world, retailing 5,150 new and 2,150 pre-owned vehicles in 2020. Located in Margate, Florida, they also provide service to their customer base. Datascan. Asset financing solutions and inventory risk management for lenders supported by 400 field professionals who conducted over 230,000 audits of $150 billion in monitored collateral during 2020. Home Franchise  Concepts. JMFE purchased Irvine, California-based Home Franchise Concepts from "Trilantic North America" in 2019. Home Franchise Concepts provides franchise opportunities for homeowner products and services supported by training and marketing using a proven business model. JM Family Holdings. JM Family Holdings partners with leading companies for long-term growth using flexibility, capital and expertise while maintaining the core values of consideration, cooperation, communication, innovation and accountability. Jim Moran Foundation. In 2000, Moran 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 2015, the foundation made a $100 million donation to Florida State University to create the "Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship" in Tallahassee. The gift is believed to be the largest single contribution to Florida's higher education system.