Wayne Huizenga

Harry Wayne Huizenga Sr.
Born	Template:Birth date Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S.
Died	March 22, 2018(2018-03-22) (aged 80) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, Businessman
Known for	Founder of AutoNation and Waste Management, Inc.; Owner of Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Miami Marlins; Owner/partial owner of Blockbuster Video and Republic Services

Harry Wayne Huizenga Sr. (December 29, 1937 – March 22, 2018) was a prominent American entrepreneur known for establishing AutoNation and Waste Management, Inc.. He also held ownership or partial ownership of Blockbuster Video, Republic Services, as well as professional sports franchises including the Miami Dolphins (NFL), the Florida Panthers (NHL), and the Miami Marlins (MLB).

Early life and education

Huizenga descended from a Dutch lineage; his grandfather, Harm Huizenga, emigrated from the Netherlands and initiated a waste hauling enterprise in Chicago in 1894. His parents, Gerrit Harry Huizenga and Jean Huizenga, were active members of Chicago’s Dutch community and affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church.

Born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Huizenga was raised in a family engaged in the waste management industry. After relocating to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1953, his father transitioned into construction contracting. Huizenga attended Pine Crest School, where he participated actively in football and held leadership roles among students, graduating in 1955. He enrolled at Calvin College but departed after three semesters. Subsequently, after working various entry-level jobs, he joined the United States Army Reserve in 1959 and completed six months of active duty.

Career

In Fort Lauderdale, Huizenga initiated a waste disposal business, following the legacy begun by his grandfather in Chicago during 1894.

In 1962, with a $5,000 loan from his father, he launched Southern Sanitation Service and purchased used trucks from competitors. Beginning with a single garbage truck operation in 1968, he expanded Waste Management, Inc. through acquiring numerous independent haulers; by its public offering in 1972, he had merged 133 small firms.

After departing Waste Management in 1984, Huizenga invested in various enterprises such as portable toilet and bottled water companies. Applying a similar acquisition strategy to Blockbuster Video, he bought multiple stores starting in 1987 and grew it into the top movie rental chain across the U.S. by 1994.

In 1995, Huizenga contributed $64 million of personal funds and secured an additional $168 million to purchase Republic Industries, assuming the role of chairman. The company later spun off Republic Services in 1998 and rebranded as AutoNation, becoming the country’s leading automotive dealership group.

In October 2004, he sold Boca Resorts—which owned notable properties like The Hyatt Pier 66 and The Boca Raton Resort & Club—to The Blackstone Group for $1 billion, realizing a profit of $192 million.

In 2010, alongside Steve Berrard, Huizenga acquired a controlling interest in Swisher Hygiene for $8.1 million. Though the company went public afterward, it did not perform well and was eventually purchased by Ecolab.

Sports team ownership

Huizenga played a key role in introducing baseball and ice hockey to South Florida as the founder and original owner of the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers. In 1996, he took ownership of SportsChannel Florida (now Bally Sports Florida) to provide local broadcasts of his teams’ games.

He encountered some criticism for choosing team names that represented the state rather than specifically Miami; however, his intention was to attract fans throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties.

American football

Facing financial difficulties in 1990, Huizenga acquired a 15% ownership interest in the NFL's Miami Dolphins and their stadium located in Miami Gardens. Following the passing of founding owner Joe Robbie, Huizenga purchased full control of the franchise in 1994 for $115 million. He also negotiated a profitable stadium naming rights agreement with Fruit of the Loom’s Pro Player brand, valued at $2 million annually for a decade.

In January 2009, Huizenga sold half of the team and stadium to Stephen M. Ross for $550 million. Later that year, Ross increased his ownership to 95%, assuming the role of managing general partner, while Huizenga maintained a 5% stake and retained ownership of half the stadium land. During the early 1990s, Huizenga was subject to a two-year NFL probation that barred him from acquiring another franchise.

Baseball

During the 1996 off-season, just three years after the Marlins' inception, Huizenga and General Manager Dave Dombrowski invested over $89 million in free agent signings, catching the league off guard. They bolstered the pitching staff by adding Alex Fernandez and brought in notable players such as Bobby Bonilla, Moisés Alou, Dennis Cook, John Cangelosi, and Jim Eisenreich. The Marlins posted their first winning record in 1997 with 92 victories, earned a playoff berth as the National League Wildcard entrant, and ultimately captured the 1997 World Series title against the Cleveland Indians—marking the first championship won by a Wildcard team.

The subsequent off-season saw Huizenga report a $34 million operating loss for the team—a figure contested by economist Andrew Zimbalist—and initiate a $54 million payroll reduction that dismantled much of the championship roster. In November 1998, Huizenga sold the Marlins to John W. Henry for roughly $150 million.

By 2009, Huizenga publicly regretted dismantling the team to reduce expenses; this decision was later regarded as one of the franchise’s most damaging moves. Nonetheless, analysts from Baseball Prospectus argued that Huizenga’s strategy of winning a World Series and then selling the club at a significant profit demonstrated shrewd business judgment.

Following the sale of the Marlins, Huizenga retained ownership rights to Pro Player Stadium’s skyboxes and club seats, along with 62.5% of parking revenues and 30% of concession profits. Economist Andrew Zimbalist observed that Huizenga benefited substantially from both the sale proceeds and ongoing stadium revenue streams.

Ice hockey

Huizenga managed the Florida Panthers through a publicly traded holding company, acquiring various real estate holdings via his Panthers Holding Group. Capitalizing on the team’s run to the 1996 Stanley Cup finals, he issued shares to public investors, which encouraged Broward County officials to fund construction of a new arena. Utilizing equity from the hockey franchise, Huizenga expanded into hospitality by purchasing two resort hotels partially owned by himself and other Panthers executives. His initial investment in the Panthers nearly tripled to reach $150 million in value.

In June 2001, Huizenga sold the Panthers to pharmaceutical entrepreneur and associate Alan Cohen along with former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar for close to $100 million. In December 2017, in recognition of his contributions, the Panthers retired jersey number 37—selected by his family for its significance as both his birth year and lucky number.

Honors

In 1991, Huizenga was honored with the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement. The following year, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans recognized him as a "Distinguished American," and he later received their 2008 Norman Vincent Peale Award. Additionally, in 2005, he attained the prestigious Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year title.

To acknowledge his impact, Fort Lauderdale renamed Southeast 9th Street in the Rio Vista area to Wayne Huizenga Blvd in 2012.

Personal life and death

Huizenga married Joyce Vander Wagen, his high school acquaintance, on September 10, 1960. The couple had two sons, Wayne Jr. and Scott, before their divorce in 1966.

In April 1972, he wed Martha Jean "Marti" (née Pike) Goldsby from San Antonio, Florida. She served as a secretary and managed billing and administrative duties within one of his enterprises. Huizenga later adopted her children, Robert Ray and Pamela. Their marriage lasted until her passing in 2017 after a prolonged fourteen-year fight against cancer.

In 2004, Huizenga acquired a $77 million luxury yacht from golfer Greg Norman and enhanced it by adding a helipad capable of accommodating a 12-seat helicopter. That same year, Power & Motoryacht ranked the vessel as the 43rd-longest yacht worldwide.

His philanthropic efforts were substantial, including a $4 million gift to Nova Southeastern University, which named its School of Business and Entrepreneurship in his honor. Moreover, he contributed $1 million to Pine Crest School, his alma mater, which dedicated its science facility bearing his name. In 2009, the Huizenga Family Foundation financed the construction of a chapel at the South Florida Council's Scout camp.

During the 1980s, he purchased 2,000 acres near West Palm Beach and founded the Floridian Golf & Yacht Club in 1996. This development included a golf course designed by Gary Player and estate homes intended to offset expenses. Approximately two hundred guests—including celebrities and business executives—were granted complimentary access. Before divesting from the club and estate to entrepreneur Jim Crane in 2010, Huizenga renamed his yacht Floridian.

Huizenga passed away at age 80 on March 22, 2018, at his residence in Fort Lauderdale due to cancer that was not publicly specified.