PRESS RELEASE
World Omni Financial Corp. To Open In St. Louis
10 February 1997
World Omni Financial Corp. To Open In St. Louis
ST. LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 10 -- World Omni Financial Corp., a JM
Family Enterprises, Inc. company, is opening a national customer service
center in St. Louis.
World Omni Financial Corp., serving automotive retail outlets throughout
the United States, offers a complete range of customer driven automotive
financial products and services. Its St. Louis office will concentrate on
dealer services, which include credit, funding, customer service, accounting
and collections.
"We are committed to serving automotive retailers throughout the entire
United States," said World Omni President Daryl Smith. "Having an office in
St. Louis puts us in a better position to serve our dealer customers."
To further show a commitment to the local community, nearly 100 percent of
the associates hired to work in the St. Louis facility will be from the area.
"St. Louis provides World Omni with a wealth of talent from the financial
services community," said Smith.
World Omni has been working with the St. Louis Regional Commerce and
Growth Association (RCGA) to recruit potential associates who are skilled in
the customer service, auto leasing and collections fields.
"We are pleased to welcome World Omni Financial Corp. to the St. Louis
region," said Richard C.D. Fleming, RCGA president. "The RCGA served as a
civic broker in this major business recruitment initiative, working with the
State of Missouri and Nooney Kromback, a commercial real estate firm, in
assembling a very attractive economic development package.
"This is a major economic development win for the St. Louis region.
RCGA's Chief Economist Stephen Taylor projects the expansion of World Omni
into the St. Louis market will generate personal income of $31 million and
$61 million in new regional business revenues and sales," said Fleming.
According to Fleming, the announcement by World Omni moves the St. Louis
region closer to its 100,000 job goal.
"As of January 1, 1997, the St. Louis region has added 43,500 new jobs,"
said Fleming. "This is since January 1995, when the RCGA and the Greater St.
Louis Economic Development Council established the goal to generate 100,000
net new jobs by the end of the year 2000."
During the construction of its permanent facility, World Omni will be
located in a 22,000 sq. ft. facility in St. Louis. Primary staffing will
include approximately 130 people. The permanent facility, projected to open
in January 1998, will be located in Earth City, a St. Louis suburb. The plans
incorporate a 50,000 sq. ft. building, which will initially house 400 World
Omni associates.
World Omni Financial Corp. has assets of $7 billion and has operations in
Deerfield Beach, Fla., Mobile, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn.
Ranked by Forbes magazine as the 27th largest privately held corporation
in the United States, JM Family Enterprises, Inc. is a diversified automotive
corporation whose principal businesses focus on vehicle distribution and
processing, finance and warranty services, and insurance activities.
SOURCE World Omni Financial Corp.
CONTACT: Kathy Eggleston, 954-429-2006 or Forrest Heathcott, 954-429-2353,
both of JM Family Enterprises