M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc.

M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc.

The headquarters of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. from 1950 to 2013.
Former type	Private
Industry	Heavy equipment
Fate	Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Successor	MOBRO Marine, Inc. Dell Marine Tug & Barge
Founded	1913
Founder	Maxey Dell Moody
Defunct	2013
Headquarters	Jacksonville, Florida
Number of locations	8 (2001)
Key people	Max Moody III (CEO) Lisa Moody (President 2005-2013) Ken Miller (CFO) Boyd Moody (Vice President) Max Moody, Jr. (CEO 1950-1987)
Subsidiaries	Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc.

M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. (formerly M. D. Moody) was a privately owned construction equipment distributor and heavy machinery service company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The firm was established in 1913 by Maxey Dell Moody who wanted to serve the needs of road construction businesses by distributing construction equipment. By 1946 the firm was incorporated to M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. and by 1980 under Maxey Dell Moody, Jr. diversified into the companies Moody Truck Center, Moody Light Equipment Rental, Moody Machinery Corporation, Moody Fabrication & Machine, Dell Marine, and MOBRO Marine, Inc.

M. D. Moody once stood as the oldest family owned construction equipment distributor in the United States, the oldest road equipment company in Florida and at one time the largest American Crane dealer in the world. It was at one time the only company between South Florida and New Jersey that rented barges.^[1]

History

M. D. Moody: 1913-1949

The beginning of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. in 1913 with Maxey Dell Moody (center, third person on the right)

M. D. Moody was established in 1913 by Maxey Dell Moody in Jacksonville, Florida as part of the Cyclone Fence Company of Waukegan, Illinois.^[2] Maxey was the only employee in its early years performing all duties as salesman, mechanic and parts manager. The purpose of M. D. Moody was to sell construction equipment to road builders giving an early slogan of the company as "Road Building and Construction Machinery." Lines represented by M. D. Moody in those early years included Adams road graders, Best Manufacturing Company tractors, Hesselman engines, Cummins and P&H cranes. In 1924 M. D. Moody sold 238 P&H Draglines. Also during the 1920s was when M. D. Moody entered the marine equipment business by manufacturing their own marine engines and then with the Waukesha Engine distributorship. During the Great Depression, the company suffered but still managed with 10 employees. In the 1930s, M. D. Moody's marine business expanded with the addition of barges and tugboats.

During World War II the firm expanded to meet the needs of wartime construction. M. D. Moody supplied the equipment needed for the expanding military bases in Florida. In 1942 M.D. Moody was appointed as the Florida distributor for American Hoist & Derrick Company, which was American Crane and is now a part of Terex Cranes. Moody’s large sales of American Cranes and draglines vaulted it into the number one position among American’s distributors worldwide. The growth of M. D. Moody in the 1940s led to its incorporation as M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. when Maxey's sons Max Moody, Jr. and Muller Pearson Moody joined the company.^[3] Maxey continued as head of M. D. Moody & Sons until his death in 1949 leading to Max Moody, Jr. becoming the CEO.^[4]

From Incorporation to Diversification: 1950-1999

Left to right: M. D. Moody (right, in black vest) delivering an Adams road grader around 1923, M. D. Moody, Jr. operating an American crane around 1968 and M. D. Moody III operating an American 9310 crawler crane in 1975.

At the turn of 1950 the firm needed a new location because of its small location and expanding success. The headquarters of M. D. Moody was then moved from Downtown Jacksonville to Philips Highway. With a strong footing in the construction business the firm expanded out of Jacksonville to Tampa in 1955, Pompano in 1972 and Fort Myers in 1988.

American cranes and service truck from M. D. Moody in 1976.

By 1960 M. D. Moody began to diversify its assets to form other subsidiaries in relation to heavy construction equipment. In 1962 Max Moody, Jr. founded Moody Brothers of Jacksonville to handle the marine business and rental of large construction equipment located in Green Cove Springs, Florida. The name Moody Brothers correlates to the title of & Sons of M. D. Moody. Moody Machinery Corp. was then established in Fairburn, Georgia to handle the sales and service of M. D. Moody's construction equipment in the Georgia region.^[3] In 1983 the Moody Truck Center was formed with the REO Truck line in order to serve the trucking industry. Max Moody, Jr.'s son R.M. Moody, Sr. became the President of the Moody Truck Center until its demise in 1996.^[5] By the 1980s, M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. had acquired over 150 cranes of all types such as crawler cranes and rough terrain cranes. The most notable crane equipment sold by the firm was American Hoist & Derrick, Badger, CDS, Furukawa, Trojan, Terex, Koehring, and Kato. In the mid-1980s M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. and its subsidiaries were employing over 200 people. Operations of M. D. Moody branched out internationally to Cuba, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Japan.^[6]

Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc. semi-trailer truck in 2013.

Maxey Dell Moody III succeeded his father as president when Max Moody, Jr. died in 1987. Mrs. Max Moody, Jr. remained as chairman of the board until her death in 2004. T. Boyd Moody became vice president until 2011. M. D. Moody under the third generation of Moodys continued to diversify further with the subsidiaries Moody Light Equipment Rental and Southeast Crane Parts along with acquisitions of the Bellinger Shipyard, a Sea Ray dealership and at one point Arlington Marina. In 1992 Moody Brothers of Jacksonville became a corporate spin-off of M. D. Moody and was renamed MOBRO Marine, Inc. Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc. was formed in 1994 to manufacture heavy machinery parts. In February 1995 M. D. Moody acquired a shipyard called the Bellinger Shipyard on the Intracoastal Waterway for $1.9 million. Moody Fabrication & Machine and MOBRO Marine, Inc. operated out of the Bellinger Shipyard working on heavy industrial vessels. In January 1996 M. D. Moody provided cranes for the construction of the Amalie Arena.^[7][8][9]

21st Century

The turn of the 21st century saw M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. expanding into Mobile, Alabama and the creation of a new parts subsidiary called Southeast Crane Parts. In 2005 the firm restructured by reducing personnel by 50% and closed four locations leading to a reduction in expenses by $5 million.^[10] By 2009 restructuring and financial difficulties during the Great Recession took a toll on the business leading to a Chapter 11 Banktruptcy.^[11] Its sister company MOBRO Marine, Inc. was not severely impacted by the economic conditions.^[12] M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. managed to reach its 100th anniversary in 2013 still retaining the title of the oldest family owned construction equipment distributor in the United States.

Subsidiaries

Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc.

The Bellinger Shipyard

Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc. operated out of the headquarters of M. D. Moody & Sons in 1994 fabricating sheet metal and manufacturing parts for heavy machinery. In February 1995 a shipyard on the Intracoastal Waterway called the Bellinger Shipyard was sold to M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. for $1.9 million by Fruehauf Trailer Corporation. M. D. Moody's sister company MOBRO Marine, Inc. also used the Bellinger Shipyard in conjunction with Moody Fabrication for a number of years.^[13] Moody Fabrication & Machine moved to the newly purchased Bellinger Shipyard where it operated for 19 years. Moody Fabrication & Machine utilized the Intracoastal to transport completed products such as tugboats and heavy equipment.

During the Great Recession in March 2010 Moody Fabrication & Machine declined in business and employees. At the same time M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. had filed for Chapter 11 Banktruptcy putting the fate of Moody Fabrication & Machine in jeopardy.^[14] Because of a decline in business M. D. Moody decided to sell the Bellinger Shipyard while maintaining the operations of Moody Fabrication & Machine. In October 2014 the Bellinger Shipyard was sold to Jacksonville Intracoastal LLC for $9.4 million.^[15]

Moody Machinery Corporation

Moody Machinery Corporation was a construction equipment distributor in Fairburn, Georgia with a branch in Savannah, Georgia.^[16] It was the heavy equipment distributor for Georgia.^[3]

Carolina Skiff from Dell Marine Boat Sales.

Dell Marine Boat Sales

Dell Marine Boat Sales was founded on May 11, 2004 by Maxey Dell Moody III bearing his middle name. Dell Marine first began as a subsidiary of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. and initially located next to the headquarters but later became a corporate spin-off. M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. had first ventured into the boating business in the early 1990s when it acquired a local Sea Ray dealership until it was sold in 2000. Max Moody III decided to start his own boat retailer through the knowledge of owning the Sea Ray dealership. In October 2006 Dell Marine opened its first branch in Orange Park, Florida.^[17] Dell Marine first began selling Skeeter, Edgewater, Pro-Line, and Odyssey Pontoon boats. The growth and shift in the market led to Dell Marine being a primary Carolina Skiff dealership with a select amount of used boats.

Dell Marine Tug & Barge Rental

Dell Marine Tug and Barge was also founded by Maxey Dell Moody in 2004. Barges from Dell Marine are used to transport various materials from houses to concrete used to establish reefs. In 2008 Dell Marine transported and dropped about 600 tons of concrete pipes and storm boxes off St. Johns County, Florida to add to the St. Johns County High School reef project. In June 2015 Dell Marine Tug and Barge donated and transported concrete materials to a location 20 miles off St. Augustine, Florida for the establishment of a reef.^[18]

Arlington Marina

Arlington Marina was established in 1990 as a public marina in Jacksonville. MOBRO Marine acquired Arlington Marina by 1992 but then transferred ownership to M. D. Moody in 2014. Arlington Marina has a dry storage warehouse for boats with concrete floating docks complete with fuel and sewage pump-out stations.^[19]

Operations

The headquarters of M. D. Moody was first established at ACL Warehouse No. 2 Riverside Viaduct in 1913 until 1951. In 1951 M.D. Moody moved to 4652 Philips Highway and became incorporated as M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. The company was one of the world’s largest crane dealers, both in units sold and in its rental fleet that included crawler cranes, rough terrain cranes, hydraulic truck cranes, derricks, and lattice boom cranes. The fleet ranged in sizes up to 450 short tons (410 t). The firm has provided cranes for some of Florida’s biggest lifts and road and bridge construction across the southeast. M.D. Moody & Sons, Inc. was a Terex dealer for the southeast region of distribution as well as American Hoist & Derrick. Along with distributing heavy equipment there was also a parts department for a variety of cranes and heavy construction equipment. The parts department is currently owned by MOBRO Marine, Inc..

Service department of Moody Truck Center.

Tug and barge at Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc.

See also

• Maxey Dell Moody
• Max Moody, Jr.
• MOBRO Marine, Inc.
• American Crane Corporation
• Terex

Notes

References

• Weaver, Delores Barr and J. Wayne Weaver (2001). "Jacksonville: Crown of the First Coast". Towery Publishing, Inc.
• Construction Equipment Guide • March 16, 2005 • Page 9
• Case Summary for M.D. MOODY & SONS, INC. July 30, 2009