james w. "jimmy" rane

The following biographical sketch was compiled at the time of induction into the Academy in 2024.

​

James W. “Jimmy” Rane is a native of Abbeville, Alabama.  He attended high school at Marion Military Institute and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University. After his graduation from Auburn, Rane attended Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, where he received a Doctor of Jurisprudence.

​

Following an automobile accident that claimed the lives of his father- and mother-in-law in 1970, Rane took over a small, defunct wood-treating plant on his in-laws’ property. His intent was to improve and sell the plant, while keeping his focus on a promising legal career. However, life took a different route. Rane instead set up a law office in Abbeville and ran the plant on the side. Today, Rane heads a family of companies that grew from that single facility.

​

Rane is Chairman, President, and CEO of Great Southern Wood Holdings, Inc., a holding company with a diverse portfolio of subsidiaries and affiliates operating in both domestic and international markets. Perhaps best-known among the family of companies is Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc. (GSWP), producers of YellaWood® pressure treated pine products.  GSWP and its subsidiaries operate 38 locations stretching from the Florida Keys to Texas to Canada, as well as 39 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, the European Union, and the Mediterranean region.

​

Rane is actively involved in many civic and educational organizations, including serving on the Auburn University Board of Trustees, and he has been recognized with numerous honors. These include membership in the Alabama Independent School Hall of Fame, Alabama Business Hall of Fame, and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Rane has been named Marion Military Institute Alumnus of the Year and Alabama Broadcasters Association Citizen of the Year, and he has earned the Business Alabama Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Johnny Stallings Award for his work on behalf of those with special needs. Rane holds an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Troy University and is the graduate of several Harvard Business School programs. A member of both the Alabama Bar Association and the American Bar Association, Rane served as a Henry County Judge from 1973-1977.

​

He is founder and president of the Jimmy Rane Foundation, which has awarded college scholarships to 680 deserving students since its establishment in 2000.
 

​