Manuel Moroun
| Manuel Moroun | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 5, 1927 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Matty Moroun |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame |
| Occupation | Chairman and CEO of CenTra Inc. |
| Known for | Owner of the Ambassador Bridge and Michigan Central Station |
| Net worth | US $ 2.0 billion (Sept 2015) |
| Spouse(s) | Nora |
| Children | Matthew Moroun |
Manuel Moroun (born June 5, 1927) is an American businessman in the Detroit, Michigan, area and the owner of CenTra, Inc., the holding company which controls the Ambassador Bridge, the international crossing connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. This is the only private ownership of a border crossing between the US and Canada. Moroun bought the bridge from the Bower Family in 1979.
The bridge is now estimated to be worth between $1.5 and 3 billion. CenTra, Inc., is also the controlling body of Central Transport International, an LTL trucking carrier. Moroun also has a controlling stake in Universal Truckload Services Inc., which is a holding company for several over-the-road truck lines and logistics companies (Universal Am-Can Ltd., Mason Dixon Lines, Economy Transport, Cavalry Logistics, Louisiana Transportation, Inc. etc.) Moroun is also the owner of the derelict Michigan Central Station for railroad passenger traffic and the Roosevelt Warehouse. A recent Forbes article listed him as the 321st richest American.
Manuel Moroun is of Lebanese descent. He grew up on Detroit's east side with three sisters. His father ran two gas stations in Detroit, where Matty worked before and during high school. Moroun attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, graduating in 1945.
In 1946, his father bought Central Cartage Company, which would later become Central Transport, and Moroun started working with him. During college, Matty regularly commuted between the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and Detroit to help run the family business.
Moroun bought the Ambassador Bridge in 1979 when shares came on the market. It was originally privately built by railroad interests.
In 2009, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) sued Moroun and the Detroit International Bridge Company for failing to comply with the terms of a contract to construct ramps connecting the Ambassador Bridge to nearby expressways as part of the Gateway Project. Wayne County Circuit Judge Prentis Edwards ruled in February 2010 that Moroun and the chief deputy of the Detroit International Bridge Co., Dan Stamper, were in violation of the contract and ordered them to become in compliance. On 12 January 2012, Judge Edwards found both Moroun and Stamper to be in non-compliance with his previous order and ordered both men to jail, denying a motion to stay the order until it could be appealed to the Michigan Court of Appeals. After spending a night in jail, both men were released by the appellate court while they heard the case.
...
Wikipedia