Allan Jones (businessman)

William Allan Jones Jr. (born December 31, 1952) is an American businessman from Cleveland, Tennessee. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Check Into Cash, Creditcorp, Jones Management Services and the founder of the Community Financial Services Association.

Jones was born on December 31, 1952, in Cleveland to William A. (Bill) Jones and Virginia Slaughter Jones. He was the first baby born at the county’s new Bradley Memorial Hospital.

Jones attended Cleveland High School, where he wrestled and won various awards and served as team captain. He graduated from Cleveland in 1972. Jones credited wrestling with helping build character and said, "In wrestling, I didn't have anyone to rely on but me." He declined wrestling scholarships to pursue a business degree at Middle Tennessee State University.

Jones left college at age 20 to help his father stabilize the family’s small business, the Credit Bureau of Cleveland. He purchased this reporting and debt collection business in 1977 and developed it to become one of the largest credit bureau databases in the state.

Jones sold the credit reporting side of the business to Equifax in 1988, although he retained the name and the company's collection agency division. He then built the company to be the largest in Tennessee with offices from Memphis to Atlanta. Jones sold the company in 1998.

Jones founded Check Into Cash in 1993. The idea arose from him seeing a former credit bureau manager who was operating out of a small service station and cashing checks with the agreement that the owner would hold the checks until the next payday before submitting them to the bank. Check Into Cash eventually grew to include 1300 stores nationwide.

Jones is the largest property owner in Bradley County and has renovated many buildings, including a former shopping mall that he altered to become a site for his companies.

The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce awarded Jones with the organization’s highest honor in 2003, the M.C. Headrick Free Enterprise Award. Jones was also inducted into the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2003.

Jones was included on BusinessTN magazine's "Power 100" list in 2005. Jones appeared on the cover of BusinessTN Magazine in 2005 and was characterized as "The King of Cash". The magazine ranked Jones as one of the 20 wealthiest people in Tennessee.

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