Jim Crane

James Robert Crane (born January 17, 1954) is an American businessman from Houston, Texas. Crane is chairman and chief executive of Crane Capital Group, Crane Worldwide Logistics, and Crane Freight & Shipping. He is also the owner and chairman of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Early life and education

Crane, who grew up in the north St. Louis suburb of Dellwood, Missouri, attended Lutheran High School North and graduated in 1972. He gave the school a donation of $1 million to improve their athletic facilities and enlarge the size of the campus from 40 acres to 67 in 2004. The school named the James R. Crane Athletic Complex for his contribution.

Crane earned a degree in industrial safety from Central Missouri State University (CMSU) (now the University of Central Missouri) in 1976, where he became a member of the fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. Crane pitched for the Central Missouri Mules baseball team. His father died between his freshman and second years, and Crane seriously thought about dropping out of college; however, his coach, Robert N. Tompkins, drove to his home in north St. Louis and talked Crane into returning to school.

In 1998 Crane was the largest donor in a $1.2 million upgrade of the CMSU baseball stadium, which was then named James R. Crane Stadium.

Career

After graduating from college Crane followed his father and went into the insurance business. He moved to Houston in 1980, and in March 1984 Crane borrowed $10,000 from his sister and founded Eagle USA Airfreight, an air freight logistics business.

Eagle USA Airfreight later became Eagle Global Logistics, and then EGL, Inc., and moved into the supply chain management and information services business. In August 2007 EGL merged with United Kingdom-based CEVA Logistics, owned by American private equity capital management and leveraged buyout firm Apollo Management L.P.. Crane owned approximately 17.6% of EGL's stock at the time of the merger. He had wanted to do a leveraged, management, or combination of the two, buyout of EGL, prior to the merger with CEVA, but was unable to obtain financing on acceptable terms. Later, after Crane obtained equity backing he initially offered $36 per-share for EGL, but Apollo then engaged in a bidding war and the shareholders eventually went with the Apollo/CEVA offer of $47.50 per share. He was opposed to the EGL and CEVA merger.

Crane took his profits from EGL and formed Crane Capital Group. He also became a director and shareholder (less than 1%) in Western Gas Holdings, LLC, the general partner in Western Gas Partners, LP, a mid-stream (mainly pipelines and natural gas gathering assets) energy company operating in the southeastern Rocky Mountain region and southern Mid-Continent area (Oklahoma and Texas) of the United States. Western Gas Holdings and Western Gas Partners were acquired by Anadarko Petroleum. Crane is also the majority shareholder in Crane Worldwide Logistics LLC.,and director of Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company (a subsidiary of Health Care Service Corporation).

A scratch golfer, Crane has been ranked as the nation's top CEO golfer. In April 2010 he purchased The Floridian National Golf Club from Wayne Huizenga. The Floridian in Palm City, Florida recently completed major renovations and additions under the supervision of architect Tom Fazio.

Crane reached an agreement to purchase the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball from Drayton McLane for a reported $680 million. He was unanimously approved by MLB on November 17, 2011. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig intended for Houston to change divisions from the 6-club National League Central to the 4-club American League West. Crane received $35 million bumps from McLane and the MLB in exchange for this league-change stipulation, which had previously committed to by McLane.

"It was two things (owning a team and golf course) that I never thought I would be able to accomplish," Crane mused at his Floridian National Golf Club's reopening. "I was able to pull it together and I am very happy about it."

Controversy

Eagle Logistics

In 2000, Eagle USA was subject of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation regarding hiring practices of minorities and women. Jim Crane was named personally in the lawsuit.

Eagle USA was also sued four separate times for allegations of war profiteering, and settled three cases between 2006 and 2008. Two officials pled guilty to different charges.

Houston Astros

In response to the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal, Jim Crane said that "[stealing signs] didn't impact the game." At the same press conference, less than a minute later, he denied having said that.

Personal life

Crane and his ex-wife, Franci Neely Crane, are financial supporters of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

During the Memorial Day weekend in 2017, Crane married Whitney Wheeler. The ceremony took place the Floridian National Golf Club. The marriage is Crane’s third. He and Wheeler have a son together, James Robert Crane II. Crane’s son Jared is president of baseball operations for the Astros.

Crane is a supporter of the Democratic Party and frequently golfs with former U.S. president Barack Obama.