Allan Jones
Allan Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Allan Jones, Jr. December 31, 1952 |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Allan Jones, aka William Allan Jones Jr., (born 31 December 1952) is a US-based entrepreneur. He lives in Cleveland, Tennessee.[1][2]
Early life and education
Jones attended Cleveland High School, where he wrestled and won various awards and was team captain.[3] He graduated in 1972. Jones credited wrestling with helping build character.[4]
Professional career
Jones left college at age 20 to help his father stabilize the family's small business, the Credit Bureau of Cleveland.[5][6]
He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Check Into Cash, Creditcorp, Jones Management Services and the Community Financial Services Association.[7][8]
Jones opened the first Check Into Cash store in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1993.[9] 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.[10]
In 1999, Jones was credited with founding the Community Financial Services Association of America.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
In 2019, Jones sold Hardwick to the company Puerto Rico Industries for the Blind.[14]
Philanthropy
In 1990, Jones founded MainStreet Cleveland.[3]
In 2014, the Jones family gave a donation to Lee University.[15]
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.[16]
He is credited with the creation of the legend of Tall Betsy, a Halloween cultural icon based in Bradley County.[17]
Awards
- M.C. Headrick Free Enterprise Award from The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce (2003)[3]
- Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at University of Tennessee (2003)[18]
- Power 100 by BusinessTN magazine (2005) [19]
- The King of Cash by BusinessTN Magazine[20]
- Fred Gregg Jr Award from the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame for contributions to sports (2012)[21]
- Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy from the Tennessee Board of Regents (2015)[22]
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.[23]
References
- ↑ Slaughter, Michael T. "Michael T. Slaughter Genealogy". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ↑ The Lord of Loans: How Cleveland payday-loan pioneer Allan Jones was propelled to fame and fortune
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Pendergrass, Toby (April 1, 2011). "WOOP Investigates The Truth about Allan Jones". WOOP-FM. Cleveland, Tennessee. Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ↑ The Mat. "Allan Jones Donates $1 Million to Build Wrestling Facilities" by Sandra Rowland, May 23, 2001
- ↑ Chattanooga Times Free Press, February 24, 2008
- ↑ "Jones reflects on 'Check' history". Cleveland Daily Banner. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ↑ "Jones Management Services". Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Usury Country | Harper's Magazine". harpers.org. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ↑ Hendren, John (January 24, 1999). "Exorbitant 'Payday Loans' Tide Over the Desperate, Line Lenders' Pockets". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- ↑ "Jones announces acquisition of Speedy Cash". The Cleveland Daily Banner. Archived from the original on 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- ↑ "About CFSA". cfsaa.com. Community Financial Services Association of America. Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ "Sewing up the deal". Cleveland Banner. June 20, 2014. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014.
- ↑ Hill, Fletcher. "A history of our supplier, Hardwick Clothes". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Hardwick Clothes in Cleveland acquired by Puerto Rico nonprofit, will add 100 workers". timesfreepress.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- ↑ "Lee to dedicate Pangle Hall with student, faculty, alumni music". Times Free Press. Chattanooga, Tennessee. October 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Protect those eyes! Businessman focused on kids' safety". www.clevelandbanner.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ↑ "'Tall Betsy' returning to life in documentary". Cleveland Daily Banner. October 13, 2011. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, 2003" Archived March 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, October 2003.
- ↑ BusinessTN, July 2005.
- ↑ Drew Ruble, "The King of Cash" Archived August 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, BusinessTN, July 2005
- ↑ "Gregg Award going to Jones". www.timesfreepress.com.
- ↑ "Cleveland State Honors Allan Jones with Philanthropy Award". www.clevelandstateecc.edu. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
- ↑ Allan Jones on Fox and Friends. Fox News. January 30, 2017.