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    Eagle CEO Jim Crane Named Houston's 1996 Entrepreneur of the Year

    Houston, Tx., Friday June 28, 1996 - Today James R. Crane, founder and CEO of Eagle USA Airfreight and its subsidiaries, was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Houston business community.

    Crane was an insurance salesman in St. Louis when he relocated to Houston in the early 1980's to get in at the bottom of the airfreight business.

    Recognized with 9 other local entrepreneurs, Crane won the award for the Services category. Seven independent judges selected the 9 winning firms from over 200 other Houston companies.

    The Entrepreneur Awards Program was started 10 years ago and provides awards to entrepreneurs with innovative business approaches, top-rates financial records, and a strong committment to their organizations.

    The Houston sponsors of the program are: The Center for Entrepreurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, The NASDAQ Stock Market, Fulbright & Jaworski, Comerica Bank-Texas, AVW Audio Visual, KPRC-TV, and the Houston Chronicle.

    As per the Houston Chronicle article Tuesday July 2, 1996:

    Leaving his job at a St. Louis insurance company, Crane moved to Houston in 1982 to work in the airfreight forwarding business.

    In 1984, using $10,000 borrowed from his sister, Crane formed his own company, Eagle USA Airfreight. Soon after, he recruited two former colleagues, Dan Swannie to oversee operations and Donnie Roberts for sales. The three have stayed put ever since - but their company hasn't.

    Eagle has grown to become the largest domestic airfreight forwarder in the country, with projected revenues of $175 million in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. The company specializes in handling cargo weighing more than 70 pounds.

    Last year, Eagle raised more than $30 million through an initial public offering of stock to fuel more growth, including building a $4.5 million warehouse and corporate office near Houston Intercontinental Airport.

    Crane, 42, says the secret has been paying employees above the industry average, primarily through incentives, which has reduced turnover and allowed him to recruit top people.

    Today, Eagle has 1,000 employees, has grown to 45 terminals, and has more than 4,000 customers nationwide.

    Eagle has begun expanding into international markets, and it is rolling out its local pickup and delivery trucking service to more areas to support its customers.

    By daring to start their own businesses, Crane and his fellow winning entrepreneurs have prospered and built thriving businesses, employing thousands of people both locally and nationwide.

    
    
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Sherry Amberg
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