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.

WILLIAM B. DUNAVANT

DUNAVANT ENTERPRISES, INC.
Chairman of the Board
Entrepreneur

Inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs in 1992 and honored as Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997, William B. Dunavant is no stranger to the concept. Chairman and CEO of Dunavant Enterprises, a cotton merchandising operation that his father founded in 1929, Mr. Dunavant firmly believes that “entrepreneurship is the key to the survival of free enterprise and capitalism…changing ahead of the times, not with the times.”

Taking over the business after the death of his father in 1961, Mr. Dunavant has grown Dunavant Enterprises from a small business on Front Street in Memphis to one of the largest cotton merchandisers in the world, handling more than 3 million bales annually in places as varied as Texas, Uzbekistan, Australia, Zambia, Hong Kong, and Switzerland, just to name a few.

Mr. Dunavant is also quite giving of his personal time to civic interests such as Memphis Young Life, the Boy Scouts of America, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, and Rhodes College.

Description of Business:

One of the largest cotton merchandisers in the world, handling in excess of 4 million bales of U.S. and foreign cotton per year. The company has ginning and warehousing operations throughout the world, as well as a commodities trading company, cotton farming operations and a truck brokerage that serves as agent for approximately 5,000 trucks used to haul cotton. Non-cotton related subsidiaries include real estate, land development and computer software development.

Year Business Founded:

1929

Year Inducted:

1992

Thoughts on Entrepreneurship:

“‘Entrepreneurism is the key to the survival of free enterprise and capitalism, and we at Dunavant Enterprises believe in changing ahead of the times, not with the times.”

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