16 Facts About Jimmy Rane

James W Rane was born on 1947 and is an American businessman, and the Founder, Chairman and chief executive officer of Great Southern Wood Preserving, one of the largest pressure treated lumber producers in the world.

Jimmy Rane has frequently appeared in advertisements for the company portraying a fictional cowboy named "the Yella Fella" after the company's flagship product of YellaWood.

Jimmy Rane grew up in the small town of Abbeville, Alabama.

Jimmy Rane's father was the son of Italian immigrants and a World War II veteran who operated several restaurants and hotels, eventually becoming the president of the local chamber of commerce.

Jimmy Rane attended Marion Military Institute before graduating from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in business administration, becoming the first member of his family to graduate college.

Jimmy Rane would pursue a legal career, attending Cumberland School of Law at Samford University where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1971.

Unable to sell the plant, Jimmy Rane returned to his hometown to manage it.

Jimmy Rane began operating the plant in 1970, founding Great Southern Wood Preserving with his brother that same year and made his first delivery in 1971 out of the back of a pick up truck.

Jimmy Rane's workload increased in 1973 when he became a Henry County judge, bringing his number of occupations to three.

Jimmy Rane quit his job as a judge the following year in order to focus on the company and his law practice.

Jimmy Rane would obtain $1 million in capital to expand his operations and by 1986 the company had grown to the point in which he was able to quit his second job as a lawyer.

Jimmy Rane has an estimated net worth of 1.2 billion dollars.

Jimmy Rane has revitalized the town's previously struggling economy and downtown area, with Rane purchasing and restoring several historical buildings with the goal of preserving the town's character.

Jimmy Rane has been a member of the board of trustees at his alma mater of Auburn University since 1999.

Jimmy Rane is a significant donor to the university, donating $12.5 million to a new culinary science center for the school in 2017.

Jimmy Rane is the founder of the Jimmy Rane Foundation which has awarded over 600 scholarships since its establishment in 2000.