michael massood, sr.
Michael Massood Sr. (b. 1924 d. 2020), chairman of MGM Transport Corp., and his brother George got their start in New Jersey in the 1940s working as produce deliverymen for the family business. After serving in the military, Michael and George launched MGM Transport Corp. in 1952 as a railcar distributor of furniture in the New York City area.
Convinced there was room in the furniture industry for a dependable, customer-focused carrier, Michael Massood developed relationships with many of the industry's leaders. Building on a reputation for honesty, fairness and reliability, Mr. Massood grew MGM from a single truck operation into one of the Northeast's premier railcar distributors with more than 700 employees and $60 million in annual revenue.
In 1975, Mr. Massood navigated the intense deregulation of the trucking industry by opening a small warehouse operation in High Point. A pivotal move for both MGM and the furniture industry, the North Carolina operation changed the model for delivery of product and enabled the company to offer its customers timely, affordable and reliable deliveries throughout the East Coast.
For more than 50 years, Mr. Massood has worked hand-in-hand with the home furnishings industry to deliver furniture from coast to coast with great efficiency, based on a commitment to excellence and integrity. Innovative concepts have included development of a consolidation system from manufacturers to retailers at lower fees, assembly and repair facilities for foreign manufacturer, barcode technology to ensure accurate movement of goods, web-based tracking of shipments for retailers, a quick-ship program to expedite deliveries, a national consolidation center for Sears to deliver furniture to homes nationwide, a customer-focused warehouse program, the incorporation of air-ride suspension trailers to minimize product damage, and a cross-regional distribution system, making Southern-made furniture more accessible in the Northern states.
Throughout his long career, Mr. Massood has been actively involved in industry trade associations. Board service includes the American Home Furnishings Alliance, National Home Furnishings Association, Greater New York Home Furnishings Association, Specialized Furniture Carriers Association and International Federation of Transportation Association. A religious man with a passion for life, Mr. Massood also has been a strong supporter of the City of Hope as well as Catholic charities such as St. Joseph's Hospital Medical Center in Paterson, N.J., where he started a foundation for cancer research. His many honors include the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association's Pillar of the Industry Award, the City of Hope's National Home Furnishings Industry Man of the Year Award, the Anti-Defamation League's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Greater New York Home Furnishings Association's Hal Meadoff Award and David Druckman Lifetime Achievement Award.