THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE DREAMS, IDEAS AND GOALS COME TO FRUITION, IS THE CORE OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOMS THAT ARE OURS IN AMERICA.

- Denise Burnett Stewart

SMALL BUSINESS DRIVES THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. IT THRIVES AND SURVIVES NO MATTER WHAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THE MAIN ECONOMY.

- Dick Gadomski

UNLESS WE PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WE WILL NOT HAVE AN EXCITING BUSINESS ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COUNTRY.

- Allen B. Morgan, Jr.

Spence L. WILSON

Kemmons Wilson Companies, LLC
Chairman of the Board
Entrepreneur

As Chairman of Kemmons Wilson Companies, Spence Wilson knows entrepreneurship quite well, having spent a lifetime with one of the city’s most well known – his father. He understands and embodies the importance of blending creative energy and vision, initiative and innovation, and he has worked to develop Kemmons Wilson Companies into a leading investment, hospitality development and management company.

Spence is generous with his time in numerous civic and cultural interests in Memphis. His commitments include Baptist Memorial Health Care System and Poplar Healthcare.

Description of Business:

Hotel development/management, real estate development/home building, financial services and insurance, resort time sharing, entrepreneurial and venture capital opportunity investments.

Kemmons Wilson Companies, LLC is the managing entity of a group of companies engaged in the businesses mentioned above, oriented to capitalize on the opportunities in those businesses and to recognize and invest in other businesses where it can achieve significant competitive advantages and provide outstanding products and services.

Year Business Founded:

1948

Year Inducted:

1996

Thoughts on Entrepreneurship:

“‘Entrepreneurship is at its best when the entrepreneur supplies creative energy and vision to some activity or product and then …associates with him professionals who can help execute and implement his plans. The entrepreneur is the initiator and the innovator; the professional is the implementer. Both talents are crucial to success, and the synergy generated by the two is immensely powerful. But the entrepreneur starts it all. My dad, who was an entrepreneur in the classical sense, always reminded me that nothing happens until someone sells something. That’s very true, and I think it is equally correct to say that nothing happens until the entrepreneur appears and begins his pioneering activities.”

For More Information: http://www.kwilson.com