(WOIO) -
James A. Haslam III, a Knoxville native, joined
Pilot Corporation in 1976, a company his father, James A. Haslam II founded in
1958. During Haslam's career, Pilot
Travel Centers has grown its annual gallon sales from approximately 125 million
to 8 billion. In addition, the company
has grown its network from 7 states in the Southeast to 43 states in the US and
6 Canadian provinces with over 600 travel centers and travel plazas. Today, Pilot Flying J is one of the top privately
held companies in the United States and employs more than 21,000 people.
Haslam's civic involvement includes service on the
boards of directors for the United Way of Greater Knoxville and Lakeshore Park.
He is the co-founder of the Haslam Scholars Program at the University of
Tennessee and formerly served as campaign chair for Knox Area Rescue Ministries
and United Way of Greater Knoxville.
Haslam also serves on the boards of Innovation
Valley Inc., the National Association of Truckstop Operators, First Horizon
Corporation, and Anderson Media Corporation.
In 2006, he served as Tennessee
statewide campaign chair for the now United States Senator Bob Corker. Haslam was also the 2010 Tennessee statewide
campaign chair for now Governor Bill Haslam.
In 2010, he was named a recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur
of the Year award for the Southeast region. In October 2011, Haslam was
recognized as a "Significant Sig" by the Sigma Chi Foundation. He also received
the University of Tennessee College of Business Administration's Distinguished
Alumni Award.
In 2008, Haslam became a part owner of the
Pittsburgh Steelers, marking the first time ownership of the franchise expanded
beyond the Rooney and McGinley families.
Haslam is married to Susan "Dee" Bagwell Haslam,
CEO of RIVR Media. They have three adult
children, Jim, Whitney and Cynthia and four grandchildren.
FOX19-WXIX
