M. D. Moody & Sons
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction machinery, heavy equipment services, marine services |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Founder | Maxey Dell Moody |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Liquidation after Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2009 |
| Headquarters | Jacksonville , United States |
Area served | United States, Cuba, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Japan |
Key people | Maxey Dell Moody (founder), Maxey Dell Moody Jr., Maxey Dell Moody III, Lisa Moody (President from 2006) |
| Products | Construction machinery, cranes, heavy equipment rentals, marine equipment, barges, tugboats |
Number of employees | Over 200 (1980s) |
M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. was a privately held American distributor of construction machinery and provider of heavy equipment services based in Jacksonville, Florida. Established in 1913 by entrepreneur Maxey Dell Moody to support road construction enterprises, it became incorporated under the name M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. in 1946. By 1980, under the direction of Maxey Dell Moody, Jr., the firm expanded its operations to include various subsidiaries such as Moody Truck Center, Moody Light Equipment Rental, Moody Machinery Corporation, Moody Fabrication & Machine, Dell Marine, and MOBRO Marine, Inc.
Recognized as Florida’s longest-standing family-operated road equipment business, M. D. Moody was also the largest global dealer for American Crane. Additionally, it distinguished itself as one of the rare companies offering barge rentals along the route from South Florida to New Jersey. Despite this strong market position, financial difficulties culminated in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2009 and ultimately led to liquidation by 2013.
As of 2020, three subsidiaries—MOBRO Marine, Inc., Dell Marine, and Dell Marine Tug and Barge—remain active, preserving the company’s heritage within marine equipment services.
Early Years: 1915–1949
Founded in 1913 by Maxey Dell Moody in Jacksonville, Florida, M. D. Moody began as a solo venture with Maxey managing sales, mechanical repairs, and parts inventory himself. The business concentrated on supplying construction machinery to road builders under the motto "Road Building and Construction Machinery." Early partnerships included the Cyclone Fence Company (a U.S. Steel subsidiary) and J.D. Adams & Company. The product offerings featured Adams road graders, Best tractors, Hesselman engines, Cummins engines, and P&H cranes. By 1924, M. D. Moody had sold 238 P&H draglines. During the 1920s, the company also branched into manufacturing and distributing marine equipment through Waukesha Engine. Maxey’s brothers Adelbert and Slomon contributed by managing shipping logistics and service operations.
Though confronted with hardships during the Great Depression, the company sustained its business with a workforce of about ten employees. Throughout the 1930s, M. D. Moody broadened its marine division to include barges and tugboats while increasingly focusing on independent growth in construction equipment sales. During World War II, it played a role in supplying machinery for military base expansions within Florida. In 1942, M.D. Moody became Florida’s distributor for American Hoist & Derrick Company (currently Terex Cranes), quickly emerging as its leading global distributor through substantial sales of cranes and draglines.
In 1946, with Maxey's sons Max Moody, Jr. and Muller Pearson Moody joining the enterprise, the company was formally incorporated as M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc.. Maxey served as CEO until his passing in 1949; leadership then transitioned to Max Moody, Jr.
Growth and Diversification: 1950–1999
By 1950, M. D. Moody had moved its headquarters from Downtown Jacksonville to Philips Highway to accommodate expansion efforts. The company extended its reach beyond Jacksonville by establishing branches in Tampa (1955), Pompano (1972), and Fort Myers (1988).
In 1962, founders Max Moody Jr. and Muller Moody launched Moody Brothers of Jacksonville to oversee marine operations and heavy equipment rentals located in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Moody Machinery Corp. was set up in Fairburn, Georgia to handle construction equipment sales and servicing within Georgia.
The Moody Truck Center was inaugurated in 1983 to cater to trucking needs with REO Trucks; Mike Moody led as president until its closure in 1996. During the 1980s, M. D. Moody & Sons operated a fleet exceeding 150 cranes from manufacturers such as American Hoist & Derrick, Badger, Furukawa, Terex, and Kato. Employing more than 200 personnel, the company expanded internationally into markets including Cuba, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Notable projects during this era included supplying equipment for Epcot (1981) and Walt Disney World Swan (1990).
Following Max Moody Jr.'s death in 1987, leadership passed to Maxey Dell Moody III as president while Mrs. Max Moody Jr. maintained her role as chairman until 2004; Boyd Moody served as vice president until 2011. Under this third generation of management, M. D. Moody diversified further by launching subsidiaries such as Moody Light Equipment Rental and Southeast Crane Parts, along with acquiring Bellinger Shipyard and a Sea Ray dealership. In 1992, Moody Brothers separated into MOBRO Marine, Inc., while Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc., founded in 1994, specialized in manufacturing heavy machinery components.
In 1995, M. D. Moody purchased Bellinger Shipyard on the Intracoastal Waterway for $1.9 million; both Moody Fabrication & Machine and MOBRO Marine operated there focusing on servicing heavy industrial vessels. The company also provided cranes for constructing Amalie Arena in 1996—further solidifying its prominence within heavy equipment supply and marine services amid a period marked by growth and diversification.
21st century
As the 21st century began, M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. broadened its reach by entering the Mobile, Alabama market and creating a new division named Southeast Crane Parts. In 2005, the firm undertook a major reorganization, reducing its workforce by half and shutting down four branches, which cut costs by $5 million. The following year, Lisa Moody, daughter of Max Moody III, assumed the role of President while Max retained his position as CEO. Nevertheless, the financial strain caused by the Great Recession forced the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009. Meanwhile, its affiliated company MOBRO Marine, Inc. experienced less severe impacts from the economic downturn.
In 2013, after five decades at its original location, M. D. Moody sold its headquarters and transferred its parts operations to MOBRO Marine, which then launched its own parts division. After operating for a century, M. D. Moody ceased operations in 2013. However, its heritage endures through subsidiaries Dell Marine and MOBRO Marine, Inc., both of which maintain connections to the Moody family legacy.
Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc.
Beginning in 1994 within M. D. Moody's main offices, Moody Fabrication & Machine focused on sheet metal work and manufacturing components for heavy equipment. In February 1995, M. D. Moody purchased the Bellinger Shipyard located on the Intracoastal Waterway for $1.9 million from Fruehauf Trailer Corporation. This shipyard was also utilized by MOBRO Marine, a sister company operating alongside Moody Fabrication.
Moody Fabrication & Machine moved its operations to Bellinger Shipyard and remained there for 19 years, taking advantage of waterway access to facilitate the movement of tugboats and heavy machinery. The Great Recession led to a downturn in business and workforce reductions in March 2010, coinciding with M. D. Moody's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Despite these difficulties, Moody Fabrication & Machine continued functioning while M. D. Moody sold the Bellinger Shipyard in October 2014 to Jacksonville Intracoastal LLC for $9.4 million.
Moody Machinery Corporation
Based in Fairburn, Georgia, with an additional office in Savannah, Georgia, Moody Machinery Corporation acted as M. D. Moody's distributor of construction equipment within the Georgia region.
Moody Truck Center
Established in 1983 next to M. D. Moody's headquarters, Moody Truck Center provided maintenance and repair services for a wide variety of vehicles, including school buses and semi-trailer trucks.
Southeast Crane Parts
Founded in 1990, Southeast Crane Parts specialized in supplying parts for heavy machinery throughout the Southeastern United States.
Dell Marine
Dell Marine consists of two marine-focused businesses located in Jacksonville, Florida: Dell Marine Boat Sales and Dell Marine Tug and Barge. These companies were founded in 2004 by Maxey Dell Moody III as subsidiaries of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., operating out of Arlington Marina—a property owned by the Moody family. Dell Marine remains the only active former subsidiary of M. D. Moody.
Dell Marine
Initially a branch of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., Dell Marine Boat Sales eventually became an independent enterprise after starting near the parent company's headquarters. Its origins date back to the early 1990s when M. D. Moody acquired a local Sea Ray dealership that was later sold in 2000. Building on this foundation, Max Moody III established Dell Marine as a boat retailer. In October 2006, Dell Marine expanded by opening a location in Orange Park, Florida. The company originally offered Skeeter, Edgewater, Pro-Line, and Odyssey Pontoon boats but later concentrated mainly on Carolina Skiff models along with select pre-owned vessels.
Dell Marine Tug & Barge Rental
Originally functioning at the Bellinger Shipyard owned by Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc., Dell Marine Tug & Barge relocated to Arlington Marina following the 2013 sale of the shipyard. The company specializes in transporting materials essential for reef construction projects. For instance, in 2008, Dell Marine delivered nearly 600 tons of concrete pipes and storm boxes for the reef initiative at St. Johns County High School. Additionally, in June 2015, the firm contributed and moved concrete supplies approximately 20 miles offshore from St. Augustine, Florida to support reef development.
Arlington Marina
Founded in 1990 as a public marina located in Jacksonville, Florida, Arlington Marina came under MOBRO Marine’s ownership by 1992 and was subsequently acquired by M. D. Moody in 2014. The marina is equipped with dry storage facilities, floating concrete docks, fueling stations, and sewage pump-out services.
Operations
M. D. Moody’s corporate offices were first situated at the ACL Warehouse No. 2 Riverside Viaduct (1913–1951) before relocating to 4652 Philips Highway, where it incorporated as M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. The company grew to become one of the world’s leading crane dealers based on both units sold and rental fleet size, offering a range of cranes including crawler cranes, rough terrain cranes, hydraulic truck cranes, derricks, and lattice boom cranes with capacities up to . M. D. Moody played a significant role in supporting large-scale lifts and infrastructure projects across the southeastern United States.
As a principal dealer for Terex and American Hoist & Derrick within the southeast market, M.D. Moody also maintained an extensive parts department for servicing cranes and heavy machinery; this division is currently owned by MOBRO Marine, Inc.
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Jacksonville, Florida |
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Tampa, Florida |
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Fort Myers, Florida |
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Pompano Beach, Florida |
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Mobile, Alabama |
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Savannah, Georgia |
| M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Moody Machinery Corporation | Fairburn, Georgia |
| MOBRO Marine, Inc. | Green Cove Springs, Florida |
| MOBRO Marine, Inc. | Tampa, Florida |
| Dell Marine | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Dell Marine | Orange Park, Florida |
| Dell Marine Tug and Barge Rental | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc. | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Moody Light Equipment Rental | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Moody Truck Center | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Southeast Crane Parts | Jacksonville, Florida |
See also
References
- Weaver, Delores Barr and J. Wayne Weaver (2001). "Jacksonville: Crown of the First Coast". Towery Publishing, Inc.
- Construction Equipment Guide • March 16, 2005 • Page 9
- Case Summary for M.D. MOODY & SONS, INC. July 30, 2009