John A. James is chairman, CEO and founder of James Group International, a group of companies in Detroitthat offers international supply chain services.
A native of Starkville, Miss., James received a B.S. degree in Sociology from Mississippi Valley State University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969. He was a Commissioned Officer in the Corps of Engineers and received a Bronze Star, an Army Commendation Medal, and comparable awards from the Vietnamese Government.
Jamesworked at Chrysler Corp. in personnel and labor relations from 1969 until 1978, when he left the automaker to devote full-time to running his companies.
The O-J Transport Company was founded by James and his uncle, Calvin Outlaw, in July 1971. In 1991, Motor City Intermodal Distribution, a marine terminal and Foreign Trade Zone, was established. Motor City Logistics, a warehousing and parts sequencing operation, opened in 1993. Renaissance Global Logistics (RGL) was launched in 1998 as a global consolidation operation, packing and exporting automotive components to South Africa, South America, Australia, Asia and Europe.
JASCO International, a joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation of America and Sumitrans was added to the JGI group in 2000. JASCO International currently has three operations - two deconsolidation centers for inventory arriving from Japan, Malaysia, Spain, the UK and Korea and a sub-assembly operation in Park City, Ky. Motor City Express (MCX) was established in July 2001 to provide truckload transportation services.
James was the first African American whose company was issued broad operating authority to transport automotive parts and other commodities in the State of Michigan. He is also the first African American nationally to be granted such authority by the interstate Commerce Commission to operate in Interstate and foreign commerce since the ICC began regulating trucking in 1935. He earned this right after taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. James sits on several community boards and is past Chair of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan. A business mentor for minorities, James is active in the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Wayne County Economic Development Board, National Association of Black Automotive Suppliers (NABAS), and other business groups.
James and his companies have received numerous awards, including:2007 Ford World Excellence Award- Renaissance Global Logistics; GM Supplier of the Year – Motor City Express (2006 and 2007), the 1998 MMBDC- Hank Aguirre Humanitarian Award and the 1996-Laureate for Junior Achievement of SoutheastMichigan- Business Hall of Fame, among others. In 1988, he received Man of the Year Award by the Minority Women's Network.
